Personal belonging
by Takkie
Summary: Takaba finds himself in a bad situation when a friend he thought that he could trust ends up selling him.
1. Chapter 1

It was a late autumn night in Tokyo, some people were still busy moving across the streets and forming a fairly decent crowd, some going to work, while some were on their way home and others were busy shopping.

From a high vantage point the people looked to be nothing more then miniaturized figures moving through a model. The lights that shone through Tokyo cast an exciting gaze that caused the world below to not look so mundane as it did during the day.

A man in a three-piece armani with slicked back black hair stood staring out of the large window that showed the image of Tokyo mentioned above as he smoked. Piercing golden eyes scanned over the city below, as though they were looking for something, he himself wasn't even all that certain what exactly it was he was looking for, but almost every single night he found himself looking over the city in such a manner.

The man looking out the window as though he owned the world was none other then Asami Ryuuichi. Most people know him to be a owner of many famous clubs and other such business, while others knew him to be a strong ruler over the underworld, having already claimed most of Tokyo as his and not allowing anything he didn't authorize to make it's way through.

Asami wasn't a man known for showing his emotions, and most people didn't know that they were in any kind of trouble with him until after a bullet had been put through their head. Asami wasn't completely merciless but didn't deal well with people who didn't take hints the first time and came back without asking questions the second time.

Most people tended to fear Asami simply due to the fact that he wasn't that easy of a man to read and if anyone could read anything from his eyes it usually was the look of death, a sign that the person who dared to look him in the eyes was going to end up dead. At the same time though there were just as many people who were loyal and respected Asami for the fear that he forced into others, people who would be willing to give their life for him if he told them to, people who were willing to follow him to the ends of the earth even if it meant they were going to end up losing their lives.

Most people could say that Asami had everything, but he wouldn't quite got that far himself, for he still felt as though there was something rather significant that he was missing, he just wasn't able to place what it was yet. Money wasn't something that he wasn't lacking on thus meaning that materially there wasn't anything that he could want for. Most people would be pleased just to have enough money to be able to live in luxury but for Asami that wasn't enough, he still wanted to know what exactly it was he happened to be missing, until that had happened he wasn't going to be pleased.

Asami's attention was drawn away from the window and the images outside when his phone suddenly started ringing, without looking to see who was calling him he pulled the device out of his pocket and pressed the talk button, he had been waiting for quite some time for this call.

"Speak." Asami ordered, putting out his cigarette as he turned to face his desk so that he could reach for another one.

"I already set everything up for you." Came the reply, Asami's eyes roamed back to the window for a few seconds as he took in a deep inhale of smoke before releasing it.

"I take it that you prepared the appropriate equipment for me?" Asami questioned as he put the phone a little further up to his ear.

"Of course I did, I wouldn't be calling if everything wasn't ready." Came the short response back, Asami's eyes narrowed a certain amount in response to the tone that he received, he didn't give a warning to the other though because all of the cards were already in his hand and he didn't really care that much if the other felt as though he could disrespect him, it just meant that the boy would be taking himself closer to his grave and that would just end up saving Asami some time and extra work if that were to happen.

"Very well then, I'll be sending your part of the deal over shortly, I do expect the twice the repay value if everything isn't as expect." Asami explained, hearing the soft chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"Don't worry, I'll be making sure to keep to my end of the deal." Asami didn't say anything else or wait for anything else to be said as he shut the phone, he had no intentions of waiting any longer then necessary to find out if he had been tricked or not, the other had been faithful towards him so far, but that didn't meant that he would keep going that way, people like them tended to change sides rather quickly and think that they could get away with more then should. Asami would of course make sure to deal with the other properly if he found himself in a dissatisfactory position.

Takaba shivered softly as he shoved his hands further into his pocket and he looked left and right. Even though it only happened to be the start of autumn when the leaves only just began to change colors to warn of the cold weather that would soon be following, it was rather cold and Takaba could feel the cold air nipping at him through the thin clothes he was wearing.

He wasn't exactly all that certain as to where he was at anymore, he just trusted what had been writing on the piece of paper to lead him to the location where his friend said that he would be waiting. Takaba wasn't really all that comfortable walking around on his own with it being so late, but his friend made it sound like it was important for them to meet right then and there that night. Takaba had agreed to come to where his friend was and the other gave him an address, an address that seemed to lead him towards a very unfriendly dark alley. Takaba wasn't that scared though, he had been in such places before without any problems and he was a good photographer so he needed to learn to be okay with hiding in such places, especially if it meant that he could save his life by doing such a thing.

Takaba checked his watch once again as his bit his bottom lip softly, he had been waiting for the other for about half an hour and he still had as of yet to appear, Takaba was starting to become worried over the fact that he might have ended up getting the address wrong, but he was certain that if that had been the case his friend would've called him by now to ask where he was and what was taking him so long to get to their meeting place. With each passing minute Takaba was starting to feel worse and worse about the whole matter and things were adding up in a bad way inside his head, in way that made him slowly start to doubt his friend. Just as he got ready to pull his cell phone out of his pocket the sound of soft crunch signaling footsteps caused him to freeze in his tracks and he slowly turned to look and see who had come upon him.

Takaba would've been less taken way by the sigh in front of him if the person standing there studying him was a drunken man rather then someone who looked rather rich and savvy in a three piece suit with what appeared to be two guards. Takaba took an uncertain step back when the other took a step towards, the other seemed to take the hint that Takaba didn't want to be too close to him and didn't take another step forward as he spoke.

"Takaba Akihito I take it?" the man questioned, as he seemed to look the boy over who was suspicious of the older looking man. Takaba could tell with one look at the man that it wasn't just riches that he had, but strong charisma and charm oozed off him, almost in a rather sickening way that would draw most people towards him like a magnet, but those kind of people were the types that Takaba preferred to stay away from because he could easily tell that they were smarmy and nothing good would come from being around their kind.

"That is my name." Takaba replied slowly not certain what it was that the other wanted from him.

"Then I take it that you're the merchandise sent to wait for me here?" The question was more of a rhetorical one as Asami took another step forward to give the boy a better look over. The boy standing in front of him wasn't that bad looking though he did appear to be a bit young for his taste. The boy had hazel eyes and gray hair, a good combination in Asami's opinion. His body wasn't that bad either, a bit on the thin side but nothing that a little extra food wouldn't be able help put some weight on. The boy's eyes were what Asami was most fixated with though, the spark of life that shone in them and the show of will that let people know he wasn't going to be easily broken was what drew Asami in the most, he was definitely going to be able to have some fun with this one.

"Merchandise?" Takaba questioned looking rather confused over Asami's words, "I don't know what exactly it is that you're talking about but as far as I know I don't belong to anyone. I just came here to wait on a friend of mine."

"Friend?" Asami questioned with a very light cock of his head. "By friend do you happen to mean this person?" Asami questioned as he stepped forward so that there weren't that many feet left between him and the boy as he pulled picture out of his suit pocket.

"That's my friend." Takaba replied when he recognized the picture of the other. "Did he get himself into some kind of trouble?" Asami took the look that the boy gave him to be a troubled one.

"Not at all." Asami replied, allowing a small smirk to slip onto his lips, "Though it would seem as though you ended up getting yourself into some trouble."  
>"What do you mean by that?" Takaba questioned, clearly taken back more then a little by the older man's words. Takaba already felt the dangerous aura coming from the other that told him if possible he should get himself away from the man before something happened, but at the current moment in time there wasn't really any point he could make his escape from.<p>

"What I suppose I should be telling you is that you've been sold to me by this so called friend of yours, to me, Asami Ryuuichi." Asami replied smoothly as he took another step towards Takaba that caused the other to back off.

"What the hell are you trying to tell me?" Takaba questioned as he tried to keep as much distance between himself and Asami as possible, not seeming to believe what the other was telling him to be true. "My friend would never do such a thing to me!" Takaba snapped back, his eyes burning despite the fact that there was small amount of hurt hidden underneath, a slight doubt that let Asami know the other didn't think what he had just been told was completely impossible to have happened.

"He would and did, I don't know what kind of relationship you had with him, but it would seem that it wasn't good enough for him to not think about selling you so he could make a small profit to get himself more drugs." Asami was being blunt with the other because he knew that that was what it was going to take for the boy to understand what he was telling him.

"You're lying." Takaba's voice sounded pathetic in his own ears as he stepped further way, feeling even more threatened when the man's two guards started moving towards him.

"I'm not lying. I have more to lose then you do if this happened to be a mistaken setup." Asami replied as he didn't stop taking steps towards the boy who's backing was getting dangerously close to hitting the wall behind him. "You're mine regardless if you want to be or not. I'll tell you now though it would be much easier on you if you just gave in now and didn't try to fight me on this matter." Asami warned, watching the way the boy's eyes were darting back and forth, more then likely looking for some point to get away from.

"I won't agree to this, there is no way I'm going to allow myself to become someone's possession!" Takaba snapped back, not seeming as though he was planning on giving in any time soon.

Takaba probably wouldn't have given in any time soon either if it wasn't for the fact that he suddenly started feeling rather weak and his vision started blurring at the edges. He started to panic when this happened as he made sure to keep his eyes on the older man who was no longer making any moves towards him, but rather staying put, more then likely assessing his condition and noticing the differences that were starting to take place. Takaba's eyes were starting to feel heavy as he tried to fight off the strong urge that caused him to want to black out, he took another step back to fight what he knew was inevitable, but it was this one small step back that caused his world to become enshrouded in total darkness as the man who called himself Asami stood over him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello there my fans^^ sorry I forgot to include this in the first chapter, but I've decided to go ahead and add another story besides Swapped. I do swear that Swapped will get itself finished sometime soon, I'm still just working to see where I want to take it^^**

I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and taking such great interest in this story and I do hope that I don't disappoint anyone with the way that I write this.

**As everyone can probably tell by this point it's an AU story, an idea that has been plaguing my mind for quite a while so I finally decided to get it out and put it down on computer.**

**Sekhmet- I want to thank you for always leaving such nice reviews for me and making such great stories for me to read^^**

**Viewfinder17-well as you can tell by this, the second chapter did come rather soon^^**

**Radcat38- I always love to play with those kinds of ideas, what kind of different ways were there that Takaba and Asami actually met in? As far as the drugging goes, you'll find out this chapter that it wasn't actually Asami's doing at all^^**

It was way past four o'clock in the morning, the streets almost completely empty at this point but soon to be filled again as there wasn't much time to go before day light would be coming again.

Most houses had their lights off way before this time, signal that the people inside were already sleeping soundly and preparing to wake up soon to go about their daily routine.

A certain penthouse that, like the rest of the homes and apartments had their lights off, making it appear that whoever live inside was more then likely asleep just like everyone else. This wasn't the case though, for the person inhabiting this house was very much so quite wide-awake, and wasn't feeling the need to get sleep any time soon.

Asami sat going through the documents that one of his most faithful bodyguards, a man wearing glasses called Kirishima had giving to him. Asami's attention was drawn away from the papers for a short amount of time as he glanced over to bed where the boy, Takaba was still fast asleep. Asami didn't stop his eyes from wandering over the still frame and wondering when it would be that the other would wake up. Asami expect it to take at least a day if not two for the other to wake up, but the boy's fighting spirit proved to be as strong as it appeared to be then Asami guessed it would take only half the time he figured for the other to wake up.

The deal had gone successfully as it were for Asami, but he still had a certain issues that he needed to clear with the other, and he was certain that the other man wasn't going to be that pleased to see him, for he had breeched a certain part of their deal. Of course this part of the deal that allowed Asami to posse Takaba that had been breeched wasn't something that he needed to tell Takaba about, it was just a simple matter that he had to make sure was cleared up in order to make the other understand what exactly it was he had done wrong.

Asami had already gone through everything that was on Takaba, including the boy's wallet. Asami wasn't all that surprised to find out that the other was still a year underage, by the boy's face Asami had honestly expected the other to be at least three if not four years younger then what his birth date was listed as.

Asami also found out from this information that it appeared as though the boy had no family to speak of. There were no pictures of his parents in his wallet and on anything that had information on him that had been stored in there didn't list a moth or father. Asami even went so far as to start searching through his personal records online, or at least he had Kirishima take care of this for him and even there no names were filled in where his mother's or father's should've been. The boy was practically an orphan considering he was under aged still. Asami would question Takaba later about his parents, for Asami also wondered if the boy just didn't want to list his parents name for some reason or other.

Another thing that Asami had found on the boy that interested him greatly was a small camera, Asami didn't know that's much when it came to cameras but he knew by looking at it that I wasn't one of the recent more expensive models, but rather appeared to be an older fashion one, one that still required the film to be developed before the pictures could be seen. Asami had guessed that boy had been using the camera quite a bit if the small amount of pictures that were left that could be taken was anything to go by.

After going through everything that he had wanted to Asami had made sure to set everything to the side for the time being, in a place where boy could easily see everything when he woke up. Asami knew that there was going to be a lot of explaining and taking on both ends and he knew that he was going to be more prepared to give out answers then the boy. Asami intended to gain the other's trust if possible, though he already knew that this was going to be a rather hard task to accomplish considering how untrusting the boy already was of him, Asami couldn't really blame Takaba for not trusting him, if the boy had honestly been through as much as he appeared to have been then it was no small wonder that he wouldn't trust Asami or want to be anywhere near him. Asami also had to set the other straight about his friend, he was going to have to make sure Takaba understood that he was really sold to him.

Asami had all intentions of making sure that boy understood what it meant to belong to him, Asami was already well aware of the fact that if he couldn't gain the boy's trust and make him listen when he was told that he was going to be staying here with the older man, then Asami knew that he was going to have to use force against the boy. Asami didn't really have much of a problem using force against the boy if made sure he understood his place and that when Asami gave him an order it was something that he was going to have to follow, like it or not.

Asami stood up carefully in order to not wake up the sleeping boy; he knew that the other would be okay if he left the room for a few moments so that he could smoke. Asami was refraining from smoking around the boy while he was still asleep, just so he didn't add to the damage that had already been done to his body.

Takaba woke up feeling as though he had just been run over and his head felt as though it was three times the size that it should've been, a hang over was what Takaba would've compared it to, except for the fact that he hadn't drank any alcohol. His stomach was the worst though for him, he felt as though he was going to have to throw up but didn't really want to, because he knew that his whole body would suffer if he did this. Takaba didn't even attempt to open his eyes as he rolled over in the bed, groaning when sunlight hit his face and caused him to cover his face with the bed sheets he was wrapped up in.

It wasn't until a bit after Takaba had covered his face with the sheets that he realized something was horrible wrong, something that would've caused him to bolt out of the bed that he had found himself in if it wasn't for the fact that he felt so awful.

Takaba Akihito knew for a fact that when he was last conscious he most certainly wasn't laying in a bed like he currently was, so where the hell was he?

Takaba still didn't dare to open his eyes out of fear of what was going to end up happen to his stomach if he did this, so instead he opted for listening to everything around him intently, to try and at least get a good idea of where it was. Takaba kind of remembered what had happened the night before, but sine his mind was kind of foggy a side of him was still really hoping that everything that he had gone through had just been a dream and that maybe he had accidentally gotten himself drunk. The large side of him knew though that it was more then likely not the case as much as he had wanted it to be, but rather that he was more then likely in the custody of the man that he had met the night before.

Listening intently Takaba could make out the sound of a shower running not that faraway from him, meaning that more then likely the other was still around.

If Takaba thought that he could get away with it he'd have attempted to get away while the other was in the shower but he knew that his body wasn't going to allow for him to move around that quickly, so he knew that the best plan of action would be for him to just wait things out and see exactly how intent the other was on keeping him. Takaba repressed a whine when the pain in his body suddenly worsened; whatever the man had managed to drug him with was making his life a living hell.

Takaba stiffened when the water in the other room suddenly stopped running, more then likely signaling the fact that the other was getting ready to come out of the shower. Takaba still hadn't opened his eyes yet and had no intentions of doing so until his headache decided that it was going to go away, otherwise he was afraid that the pain would get too bad for him to be able to handle.

Takaba didn't even dare to move an inch when he heard the bathroom door open and almost no existent footsteps make their way through the room and towards him, stopping right at what he knew to be the foot of the bed, more then likely observing him to see if he was awake yet or not. To Takaba it wasn't as though he was attempting to hide the fact that he was awake, more like the fact that he didn't have the energy to show off the fact that he was awake.

Takaba felt as though he could breath again when the other moved away from the bed, Takaba wasn't all that certain that he could handle the presence of the other being so close to him for much longer, the fresh scent of the man was actually starting to get to him. He really didn't want to find something that caused him to like the other man, at least not until he had proved that he was a likeable person.

When Takaba heard the bedroom door shut after Asami came to look over him once more, he attempted to open his eyes despite the fact that he wasn't feeling any better at all, in fact if anything he was starting to feel worse again. It took Takaba much longer then he'd have liked for it to have taken to him look be able to clearly look around the room without every thing appearing all blurry through his eyes.

Takaba was rather taken aback by the look of what he presumed to be a bedroom and how expensive everything inside of it looked. It definitely cleared the fact that this Asami person was indeed rich in Takaba's mind, though it just caused him to wonder about exactly how rich the other was.

Most certainly nothing in the room looked that fancy, but the imagine of the room itself just stated 'I'm rich" the objects inside of the room were few but they were high class by the look of them. Takaba wasn't all that surprised over the fact that the bed he was laying on looked just as large and larger then it felt, what did surprise him though was the fact that the sheets were made out of thick expensive cotton, thus explaining why they felt so torturously good against his skin, Takaba had never been able to sleep on something so soft before. One thing that caused Takaba to greatly wrinkle his nose was the thick scent of smoke that seemed to fill the room with it's stale smell, a sign that someone hadn't been smoking recently but rather that Asami more then likely had been smoking in the room at some point or other and the smell just stuck to everything in the room.

Now that Takaba was able to look around without much of a problem he was feeling confident over the fact that he might be able to sit up so that he could get a better look at his surroundings. This turned out to be a horrible idea and Takaba found himself biting his tongue to hold back the curse that wanted to slip out from the massive amount of pain that came from the simple action that he tried to do.

The pain that Takaba felt was so bad that he hadn't even heard when the other had entered the room or approached the bed until he spoke startling Takaba greatly.

"It would seem that you're awake much sooner then I had expected you to be." Takaba jolted back at the sound of the deep baritone voice so close to him, wide hazel eyes looked into calm golden as the two locked eyes, Takaba willed himself to calm down a certain amount when he saw that the other's hands were full meaning that he couldn't do anything to him for the time being. Takaba didn't say anything as he watched Asami take the seat next to his bed, the tea cup still in his hand as he seated himself. Once seated comfortable Asami held out the cup to the other who looked at it suspiciously, more then likely not trusting the contents of it despite the fact that the strong scent of miso was wafting out of it and towards the boy who Asami knew must've been hungry.

Takaba wouldn't put it past the other to drug him, if he had done it once then he could do it again.

"It's just miso soup, I didn't put anything suspicious." Asami told the boy as he pushed the cup closer towards him, urging the other to take it.

"Right, like I'm so easily going to believe you after you drugged me the first time." Takaba scoffed back as he watched as watched the raised eye browed expression of the other.

"You think that I was the one who drugged you last night?" Asami questioned, not seeming to believe the fact that the boy thought this was the case. "Did I ever get close enough to you to be able to do such a thing?" Asami questioned watching the boy's expression change after being asked the question.

"You didn't get close enough to me, but you're the only one who could've done it." a small trace of doubt could easily be heard in Takaba's voice as he said these words.

"I can assure you right here and now that I wasn't the one to drug you, not with the kind of drug you had running through you system. You're so called friend was the one who did this to you. Would I really say I wanted to keep you if I was just going to drug you with something that I knew as going to kill you?" Takaba was suddenly taken aback by the other's words.

"Kill me, what're you talking about?" Takaba questioned.

"The drug that was put into your system is one that is mainly used to kill people, it isn't that easy to detect when put in a liquid substance and takes its time to weaken and kill the person." Asami explained as set the cup on his lap. "More then likely it was putting into something that you were drinking yesterday morning."

"That's not possible, it had to have been you who did it." Takaba murmured back, not quite meeting the other's eyes when he said this, not wishing to believe that it was indeed his friend who had drugged him.

"Believe what you want, but the truth isn't going to change just because you think differently from what really happened." Asami told the boy, causing the other to look at him with such uncertain eyes. "For the time being you should drink this, I'm certain that you have some questions that you want to ask me as much as there are some questions that I want to ask you, but for now we're going to take this one step at a time." Takaba knew for the time being that he had no choice but to do as the other told him, so he forced himself to sit up despite the massive amount of pain that it caused him as he carefully took the glass from the other's hands, knowing that if the other had truly not drugged it that it would do him some good.


	3. Chapter 3

The first few moments after Asami had handed Takaba glass had been in complete silence, Takaba sipped the weak miso while keeping his eyes trained on Asami, not even giving the other the chance to do anything to him. His mouth was enjoying the taste, but his stomach wasn't reacting quite the same way to it. Takaba practically had to force himself to keep slowly sipping the liquid as he fought back the bile that wanted to rise up in his throat. He continued to force himself to drink the brew in hopes that towards the end of finishing it his stomach might be a slightly better then it currently was.

Asami was respecting the other's silence as he sat there with his legs crossed, hands folded on his lap as he watched boy's every action, waiting for the signal that he was ready to start speaking seriously. Asami could easily see the way that Takaba's hands were shaking as he held the glass tightly in them, more then likely to make sure that the glass wasn't going to slip through his fingers. Asami would've offered to help the boy, but he knew that more then likely Takaba would turn down his offer and not kindly at that.

Asami would allow Takaba to push him away for the time being, but once he set down the rules and the boy was feeling better he was expecting the other to obey each and every rule he set force. Of course punishments were going to be dealt out if the other didn't understand the boundaries he was expected to follow. Punishment was something that Asami knew he was going to be able to enjoy, for Takaba didn't seem like the kind of person who tended to give in easily, meaning that rules weren't something that he knew how to follow.

"Are you ready to speak?" Asami questioned while watching Takaba carefully set the cup down on the nightstand next to him.

"The only thing that I want to talk to you about concerns my freedom." Takaba replied, as he kept his stare firmly on Asami who was regarding him with a rather large amount of amusement that annoyed the boy to no end, it appeared as though the other wasn't really taking his words that seriously.

"Do you still not think that I intend to keep you? Have my words not sunken into you properly?" Asami questioned while shifting his position in the chair so that he could shift closer to the boy who was doing a fabulous job of scowling at him and making him more excited then the young photographer could possible even think about understanding.

"I don't really give a damn about what you say, I'm keeping my freedom!" Takaba snapped back, watching Asami's face once again turn hard though the look in his eyes didn't change one bit.

"The moment that you were sold to me I took away your freedom, last night sealed the last day that you'd be able to say that you belonged to yourself. Say what you like but I intend to make sure that every part of you, body and soul understand that you belong to me." Takaba really couldn't stop the shiver that traveled down his spine when Asami said those words, feeling the dark intent that oozed off him making him only want to get away from the other even more then he already did.

"You will let me go." Takaba told the older man, causing the look of amusement to once again pass over his face, the boy was much more stubborn then even Asami had expected him to be.

"Do you think that you're in any kind of condition to even think about getting away from me in?" Asami questioned with a slight cock of his head as his eyes scanned over the other's body. "From the way that I'm looking at things I'm only seeing a weak brat who can't even hold himself up, how do you plan on getting away in such a condition?" Asami knew that he must've struck a cord with Takaba, because something in the other's eyes suddenly changed, something that bothered the older man greatly, for it showed that the boy didn't really think that he was teasing him by his words, rather the other was taking what he said very seriously.

"So what if I'm not able to handle myself? I still have connections with the police, if I tell them that you took me by force even though a deal between us hasn't been made I know that they'll believe me." Asami's eyes narrowed when he noticed that the boy was no longer fully looking at him but rather looking all around and at everything else rather then meeting his eyes.

"I debt you didn't know that the police are rather easy to pay off, even if you do go to them and tell them that I did something to you more then likely they'll just send you away with a pat on the head and say not to mention the incident to anyone else and that more then likely it was just a simple mistake. Money get one everything that they need in life, even power." Asami's voice rang cold through out the room, but Takaba's wasn't paying attention to the tone anymore, he was more focused on the words that the older man had just said to him. he wasn't going to be able to trust the police. He knew that he shouldn't believe what it was that Asami was saying to him, but somehow the other's words were ringing true in his mind as much as he didn't want to believe what he was saying to him.

"So what if the police don't help me? It's not like you're going to be able to keep an eye on me forever. Even if you do tell me that I'm stuck staying here there's no way that I'll just listen to what you say and sit here like a good dog. I'll find my way out and return to-" Takaba was cut off when Asami suddenly grabbed his wrist none too gentle causing the other to flinch.

"You won't be returning to anyone." Asami told the boy, his voice sounding even colder then it did before. "I didn't think that it would actually come to the point that I was going to be finding myself having to give you some kind of solid evidence in order to make you believe what I was telling you earlier, but it would seem as though that that is going to have to be the case." Takaba recoiled his hand quickly when the other let it go and stood up. Takaba curled further into the sheets in a rather protective position as he watched Asami head across the other side of the room, opening the draw of a desk that was positioned in the back left corner of the room, Takaba watched as the other pulled out a small tape and then a recorder before making his way back over to his chair.

Asami once again took his seat before showing the little cassette to Takaba as he placed the thing in the recorder.

"I always find that it works best to record everything that my clients tell me just in case a mistake happens to come up." Asami explained before starting the recorder for Takaba. The tape rolled for a few seconds before a small beep was heard the back ground, signaling that a phone had picked up.

"Are you there?" Takaba recognized the first voice to belong to Asami, more then likely the person making the call. There was silence for a few seconds as the cassette continued going, Asami didn't miss the way that the other perked up the moment that he heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

"I wouldn't be picking up if I wasn't here now would I be?" the second voice replied, the voice that Takaba knew so well that he didn't even have to think twice about who the person speaking was.

"I came to confirm that you're still intending to make the deal meeting a week, my schedule is still cleared for that day and I wanted to make sure that nothing came up since the last time we talked." By the way that Takaba wasn't moving Asami guessed that the other was waiting intently to hear what was going to be said in response to this question.

"Nothing has come up so far, I think that I shouldn't have any problems, I think that I should be able to make it there on the promised date. I already told you that he is like a faithful dog, I shouldn't have any problem getting him to appear at the meeting point if I just tell him that I urgently need to see him."

"What's the boy's name again." Asami then questioned after a few seconds of silence.

"Takaba Akihito, I do warn you ahead of time that despite his docile and meek look he's much more feisty then he appears to be. I might suggest using a rope to tame the boy-" the rest of the words were cut off as Asami clicked the stop button on the top of the recorder, knowing that the boy heard more then he needed to. It was obvious that Takaba was already deeply hurt by what he heard, but Asami could also tell that a certain part of him was still in denial about the whole matter, still not wanting to believe that someone he had been trusting for so long was willing to betray him.

"He's been contacting me about you for quite a while now." Asami explained as he set the recorder down.

"I want to see him." Takaba mumbled, his fists clenched at his sides as he looked down at the sheets, Asami couldn't exactly read the emotions that were passing over his face because the other was looking down, but if Asami had to make a guess he would say the boy was close to tears. "I want him to say these things face to face to me."

"You're not going to see him, that's final." Takaba looked like he was about to argue over what Asami had said to him, but the other seemed to understand that he wasn't going to be able to get anywhere with arguing with him. "Life here with me won't be that bad if you do a good job of obeying the rules that I will be setting down for you."

"I have no intentions of obeying any rules." Takaba replied back, another scowl on his face he looked up at the man before him. Asami seemed to be ignoring his words as he continued speaking.

"Firstly you're not allowed to leave this place on your own under any circumstances, you'll be punished if you even think about trying to escape. You'll ask my permission first if you intend to make any kind of phone calls for any reason, I think that I should be able to trust you enough to not try and call the police after what I told you earlier. Thirdly if I give you an order you're to obey me no matter what. More rules will be added on as time goes by but for now we'll see how you can handle these three. I take it that you already know where the bathroom is, you have free access to use it whenever you need to."

"I guess that's all I need to know because it's not like you're going to be giving me free access to everything in this house anyway." There was a slight pout to Takaba's voice and that caused Asami to almost smirk, and he probably would have if it weren't for the fact that the matter they were talking about was so serious.

"I have no intentions of keep you locked up in here, you'll have free range of the house once you're well enough to get up and move around on your own. Understand though I won't tolerate you snooping around into things that aren't yours. My office on the bottom floor is a room that is completely off limits to you, you can look around everywhere else except for there. Do I make myself clear." Again Takaba looked like he wanted to argue with Asami over the whole matter, but instead kept his mouth shut, an obvious sign that it was okay for Asami to continue speaking. "It will take a few days for the drug to get out of your system and for you to be able to walk around fully without feeling sick. Until that point I suggest that you limit the amount that you move around. I will bring you something to eat or drink when you're hungry, if you need something but don't feel like you can get up to get it then you can press the page button and I will come in to check on you." Takaba just a gave a small nod of his head, knowing that he was going to have to listen to what Asami was telling him regardless if he wanted to or not.

Of course Takaba didn't intend to continue listening to Asami the full time that he stayed there, as soon as he could he was going to find a way to get out of the pent house and then go back to where he used to live, back to where his friends were.

"If I'm going to be expected to stay here with you then I want to know more about you." Takaba told Asami who gave him a rather blank look.

"Information about me is completely off limits." Asami replied, standing up, though he didn't move very faraway from the bed before something gripped the back of his suit tightly, surprisingly him by how strong the grip was.

"That's not fucking fair," Takaba growled, the anger showing in his eyes clearly as he looked at Asami. "You get to know everything that you want about me, but I don't get to know anything about you?"

"If the world was fair, do you think you'd have been sold to me?" Asami was starting to find that he rather enjoyed riling Takaba up and getting to see the pissed look on the other's face, it was something that Asami was finding that he wanted to keep doing, but since he was a patient man he knew that for the time being he was going to have to put his wants to the side till he had gained Takaba's trust and seduced the other into bed with him. Asami however didn't stop his eyes from raking over the other's body despite the disapproving look that Takaba was giving him. The boy had already withdrawn his hand at this point in time and had curled himself further into the sheets. "I'm going to be leaving the room for the time being because there are a few things that I need to take care of. Try to behave yourself and not get into any trouble while I'm out of the room." Takaba tried his best to glare at the other but it didn't work as well as he would've liked since Asami ruffled his hair, ruining his glare totally.

"I'm not a child!" Takaba shouted after the older man as the other left the room, a slight pout to his voice. Takaba stared at the closed door even after Asami left for a short while longer till he allowed himself to relax realizing that the other more then likely wasn't going to be coming back for a bit.

Glancing back to the night stand to his left Takaba saw all of his belongings that he had on him were sitting there, he knew right away Asami more then likely had riffled through them, thus the source of the older man's knowledge about him. One thing that Takaba noticed that caused him to feel rather pissed off was the fact that he realized his camera wasn't there any longer.

"Bastard." Takaba seethed through gritted teeth, he had taken a lot of photos on that camera that were important to him and that he was planning on getting developed soon, he was going to be pissed if Asami ended up doing anything that would caused them to be damaged. His mind was taking off of the problem of his photos for a few moments when he felt the violent urge to need to get up and pee. Takaba groaned inwardly to himself when he saw how far away the bathroom was from his current position; he knew that there was going to be no easy way for him to get there from where he was. The pain in his body hadn't eased up one bit yet and he knew that moving around was only going to make it that much worse, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to wait that much longer, but at the same time he doubted that he'd have the energy to make it there on his own. Takaba knew he was going to have to find a way to do it though because there was no way in hell that he was going to ask to help him, putting that aside it wasn't like he trusted the older man enough to even allow him close enough to even try to do such a thing. Gritting his teeth Takaba prepared himself mentally for the hard task ahead and just hoped that the pain wouldn't be bad enough to make him do anything that would catch the older man's attention.

Asami carefully pocketed the camera in the front of his suit, next time he needed to call for Kirishima he would make sure to have the other develop the photos in order for him to see what kind of pictures the boy had been taking, he had a guess as what they were going to be, but he wanted to be able to see them for himself.

Asami couldn't suppress the smirk that appeared on his face when he heard the thump that came from the room above, knowing right away what had caused the sound, it would seem that it was going to take the boy a little longer then Asami had expected to be able to get up on his own.

**I want to thank everyone for the kind reviews that they have sent, I'm going to try my hardest as I keep this story going to try and respond to each and every person that reviews my story if I can do so. **

**Radcat38: of course we cannot expect Takaba to obey the rules, he's never been the kind of person to do such thing now has he been? His reason for buying his entertainment as it were will soon all be revealed, probably in another three or four chapters, will just depend on how the story goes. **

**KouyaxCloud: hmmm, I hadn't actually though about making Kirishima drug Takaba, though that would've fit in rather well for the beginning, Asami is that clever after all. **

**Dhawktx: I think some of us already may have some ideas as to who this friend might be *wink*. **

**Seithr-Kairy: Why yes, Asami would have his own scale to measure other's age by now wouldn't he, I do think that he would probably apply someone's maturity in account when guessing their age, though with Takaba I guess that would make Asami think of him as rather young now wouldn't? Though in this story I'm going by Japan's age of maturity which from what I know tends to be twenty, thus Takaba is currently nineteen in this story, and I'm think that makes Asami about twenty-eightish in my mind. **

**Lili974WOLF: Sorry, if my French were better then I would respond to you in it, but thank you for the review and I will try my hardest to keep the story going^^**


	4. Chapter 4

The whole entire bathroom trip was more trouble then Takaba had expected it to be so by the time he managed to make it back to bed (He knew it took him about a good twenty minutes in total between going back and forth) he was completely exhausted, he was just happy that Asami hadn't come in at all during that time.

Takaba had desperately wanted to take a shower while he was in there but didn't really know what to do about his clothing situation, he didn't dare asking Asami about it because he knew that it would only serve to piss him off if he found out that the man knew his size, in Takaba's mind Asami already knew way more then he should've. So for the time being he could deal without taking a shower, it wasn't like he was going to die from not taking a shower for a night. Sleeping was sounding better at the moment anyway and Takaba knew for the time being he was going to need to get as much rest as he could if he wanted to get better soon so he could get away from Asami.

Takaba's sleeping trip was cut when the sound of the bedroom door being shut caused him to wake up slightly startled. Almost completely forgetting where he was when he opened his eyes to look around. When his eyes landed on Asami he calmed down a certain amount as he remember where was at.

Asami hadn't expected the other to have been asleep already, he had come into to bring the other something to eat and drink since he knew that Takaba hadn't had anything except for the small cup of miso and he knew that that wasn't enough to hold the other over for the day.

"I brought you something to eat." Asami told Takaba as he approached the bed with the tray, watching the way that Takaba watched him carefully, his eyes only focusing on the tray once the other had set it down, and even then it was only for a few brief seconds before he looked at Asami again. You should eat something if you intend to get yourself better any time soon." Asami told the other before he turned to leave the room again; Takaba watched the other till the door had been closed.

Takaba looked again at the tray and the food that was on it, he hadn't been so hungry so he hadn't thought much about eating, even know with the food being there for him to eat he didn't feel all that hungry. Takaba doubted at this point in time Asami would drug his food, it had almost been a full day that he had been there and the other hadn't done anything to him as of yet so he figured that he should technically be safe to eat, at least a small amount of the food.

Takaba couldn't sleep anymore, he just couldn't. He wasn't all that certain how long he had been laying in bed staring at the ceiling but he knew it had to at least have been over two hours. Takaba had two reasons why he wasn't able to get any sleep, the first reason was the fact that sleep didn't come easily to him at night, it really never had for quite a while now. The second reason had to do with the fact that Asami was in bed sleeping next to him; Takaba wasn't comfortable with this at all.

Takaba hadn't even taken into consideration the fact that the two of them may have had to share a bed together since he was fairly certain that he bed he was in more then likely belonged to Asami, but not enough so that he could prepare himself mentally for the whole thing, it was all still a little too much for him.

Asami hadn't touched him yet and had even made a large by promising Takaba that he wouldn't dare to touch the other while they slept, so even though Asami had kept his promise thus far Takaba still didn't feel like he could let his guard down. The whole matter of them sleeping together was made even worse by the fact that Asami wore nothing but his boxers, Takaba had protested about this point to but Asami firmly shut him up saying that there wasn't any problem with two men sleeping in bed together even if they didn't have much clothing on, it wasn't like anything was going to happen right? Takaba voice anything else on the matter but he still was very discontent with the whole thing.

On the other hand Takaba was thankful over the fact that Asami appeared to be a rather hard sleeper so he didn't have to worry about waking the other up with all of the tossing and turning he tended to do while trying to find a position that he could sleep in. Takaba knew that he was going to have to find a way to get some sleep because he could tell that it wasn't going to be long before it would become morning time.

Asami had come to bed late that night and Takaba had a hard time as it was acting as though he had been sleeping for a while, Takaba didn't really want Asami knowing that he had sleeping issues, for Takaba knew for a fact that if Asami knew about his problem that medicine would more then likely become involved and Takaba didn't really want to be forced to take any pills.

Takaba knew though that the moment the sun started coming up his last chance to get any sleep left him and he might as well attempt to get up and take a shower. One night was long enough without one and even if it he didn't have any fresh clothing that he could wear, the clothes he currently had on weren't that filthy so he figured he could get away with wearing them for another day.

Of course Takaba knew that the hard part was going to be getting himself up and out of bed, he knew that he wouldn't have to worry about waking up Asami as long as he didn't end up causing himself to fall face first on the ground like he had done when he went to use the bathroom the day before.

Takaba knew this time though that he just had to move more slowly and not rush things since he knew that his legs still didn't want to hold his weight properly. Takaba was rather thankful over the fact that he was on the side of the bed that was closer to the bathroom as he slowly moved his legs to the edge of the bed. Things were going rather well up until the point that Takaba got ready to stand up and his foot ended up getting caught in the edge of the sheet that was dragging on the ground. Takaba stifled the gasp that wanted to come out as he put his hands out in front of himself in order to make sure that he didn't hit the floor face first.

Takaba on the other hand couldn't stifle the squeak like sound that escaped his mouth when a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist and rolled his safely back onto the bed where he was pressed firmly in place against a broad chest. Takaba is stunned by what had happened for a second before he begins to struggle harshly against the other, not wishing to be pressed into the other's chest any longer. Takaba didn't enjoy the amused chuckle that came from Asami's mouth that as was almost against the back of his neck. Takaba didn't like the feeling of the warmth breath tickling the back of his neck as Asami spoke.

"What's the rush?" Asami questioned the other as he held him tightly in place, enjoying the other body being pressed against him even though there was still a thin layer of clothing separating him from having full skin on skin contact.

" I want to take a shower!" Takaba snapped back in response as he tried desperately to free himself from Asami who had only shifted his position slightly, an arm was still wrapped snuggly against his waist, but the other's body wasn't pressed so hard against him.

"I think that you can wait for another ten minutes before that point." Asami replied back, his voice sounding distinctly tired.

"What, wait?" Takaba panicked when he realized what exactly Asami had meant by his words, "No, no, no, no! There's no way I'm going to put with being in this position until you decide that its time to get up." Of course Takaba's rant fell on def ears because Asami had already fallen back to sleep, Takaba could tell this by the way the other's weight became slightly heavier on him. This meant for Takaba like it or not that he was stuck here under this man until he woke up the next time.

Of course Asami didn't lie when he said ten minutes because that was about the amount of time that had passed before Asami had woke up again. Removing himself from Takaba and getting off the bed he moved to pick the other up. Takaba wasn't in favor of this at all but there wasn't much he could do to resist the other for he was certain that if he struggled too much Asami would have no qualms about letting him hit the floor face first.

Takaba was thankful that Asami let him down just right inside of the bathroom door.

"There will be some clothes waiting for you out here on the bed once you're finished." Asami told Takaba as the older man closed the door behind himself, leaving Takaba alone in the bathroom. What Takaba didn't know at that point in time was that this was going to soon becoming a typical morning routine, at least until Takaba was able to get out of bed without making too much noise.

Three days passed like this, Takaba and Asami didn't really have much interaction time besides first thing in the morning, whenever Asami brought the other in something to eat or drink or came into the room to get something and then at night. Through the main part of the day Takaba tended to do nothing more then sleep since he wasn't able to get much at night and with the drug still making him feel rather sick he knew that the sleep would only help him.

Takaba was doing slightly better when it came to moving around, his legs didn't attempt to give out as much on him as they used to and he could make the trips to the bathroom a little easier, but he still couldn't move around as much as he would've liked to have been able to.

When the fourth day came around Asami was actually leaving the house. Apparently he had some kind of work or other that he needed to take care. Takaba had a small sliver of hope at first that that meant he was going to be left alone at the house, he hadn't been really causing much problems for Asami so far since there really wasn't that much he could do so a small side was hoping that the older man would trust him alone in the house since it didn't seem like he was going to be gone that long. This didn't happen to be the case though when Asami introduced the boy to a guard with glass, Kirishima to be exact, under most cases Asami preferred to take Kirishima with him when he had work to do, but he felt that for the current time that Kirishima would be able to do a good job of taking care of Takaba. Asami knew for a fact that the other would have that patience to deal with Takaba if he decided to be stubborn about something.

Takaba couldn't really object to the man watching over him, because he knew that no matter what he said Asami wouldn't even pay attention. The man didn't appear that bad to Takaba, if anything he seemed much more personable then Asami was, or at least more comfortable to be around.

The rules were the same as before for Takaba, the only difference was that it wasn't Asami watching him at the current moment in time, it was Kirishima. The guard wasn't all that overbearing with Takaba and he in fact left him be more to himself then Asami did. Takaba actually felt that he could breath around this person.

One of the times after Kirishima had left him Takaba grabbed his cell phone off of the night stand next to the bed, he desperately had been wanting to make a call, but of course to do so he needed to ask Asami's permission and he knew if he said who it was he wanted to call Asami would tell him no right away. Takaba had however found a small loop hole in this problem, Asami didn't say that he wasn't allowed to text, Takaba knew that Asami had more then likely found a way to track his calls if boy ever decided to try and make a phone call while he wasn't around, but he was certain that there was no way for Asami to track his text messages. Takaba knew though that he was going to have to send the message quickly if he didn't want Kirishima to see what he was doing.

Takaba sent the text message in record time and set the phone back down on the night stand as he lay back down to stare up at the ceiling, Asami had been gone for a few hours now and Takaba had a good guess that it wasn't going to be that long before the other returned.

A sudden idea struck Takaba's mind at this thought and the though caused him to growl lowly at himself as he almost, almost caused himself to blush. He knew that he really shouldn't have thought about what he was thinking of doing, but somehow he felt that he should do it since the other had been taking care of him without any complaints for the last three days despite the fact that he wasn't getting much of anything out of it. If Asami had honestly bought him Takaba knew that the other more then likely bought him with other thoughts in mind rather then having to take care of him while he was sick. Takaba didn't like to think much on these thoughts though so for the time being he shoved them to the back of his head.

So instead Takaba opted for getting up and out of bed, Takaba of course still took all of this rather slowly knowing that it would take a bit for him to be steady on his legs. Once Takaba was certain that he would be able to walk safely he made his way to the bedroom door.

Not once since Takaba had been brought to the pent house had he left Asami's room, except to take a shower or use the bathroom, he hadn't gone any further then that thus far.

Takaba was kind of nervous about leaving the room, but only so far as he hadn't walked such a large distance before, he was certain that his legs could handle the long walk, but he didn't know if he would be pushing himself too much by trying to do such a thing. Takaba twisted the door handle. The only way he would know if it was too much was simply just by trying.

Once outside of Asami's room Takaba felt rather uncomfortable, for he had never quite realized how large the whole place was. Takaba wasn't used to being in such large places and it was actually rather overwhelming for him to think about moving around.

Takaba did somehow though manage to make his way through the rooms, actually seeming to surprise Kirishima when he came into view of the other who was busy in the kitchen.

"Takaba, what're you doing up and around?" Kirishima questioned as he approached the other, ready to support him if necessary. Takaba stopped himself a bit short of the table, resting his hand on it to help him feel more balanced.  
>"I cam down because I wanted to make something for dinner." Takaba replied as Kirishima gave him a rather curious look. "I don't think that Asami should have a problem with me doing something like that." Takaba commented when Kirishima remained silent while looking at him, Takaba didn't see why Asami should be upset at him for wanting to make dinner; Asami did say that he had free access to the house.<p>

"I don't think that he should have a problem with it at all." Kirishima replied, seeming to relieve Takaba with his answer. "I will just stand by if you need help."

It was after night fall by the time that Asami returned to the pent house, feeling very tired from all of the work that he had to take care of. Without Kirishima at his side things were slightly more difficult to handle.

Asami turned the light on in the hall as he entered the pent house, he was excepting Kirishima to be the only one up and around still as he guessed that Takaba had more then likely already gone to sleep, probably already having had something to eat for dinner.

What Asami didn't expect to find though was Takaba curled up on the loveseat in the living room with a light blanket covering him, Kirishima sat in a corner of the room in a chair reading a book, but he became completely alert once Asami entered the room, even going so far as to stand up. Asami acknowledge the other though his eyes stayed trained on the sleeping form of Takaba. Asami stared at the boy for a few seconds longer before turning his full attention to Kirishima who was standing and awaiting his orders. Asami excused the other with a nod of his head, letting Kirishima know that it was now safe for him to leave since he was back to keep an eye on Takaba.

Once Kirishima had left Asami turned his attention back to the sleeping form of Takaba, the other had shifted some but still appeared to be in a rather deep sleep. Asami knew that he wasn't going to be able to leave the boy sleeping where he was at and knew he was going to need to move him soon, even if the other didn't wake up. Asami however didn't want to do so just yet, for seeing the slight of the sleeping stirred something inside of him that he hadn't felt in quite a while. If Asami hadn't know what the boy's real age was he would've thought that the other was no more then sixteen for the boy's face made him look quite a bit younger then he actually happened to be. Asami allowed for himself to indulge in staring at the sleeping boy for a while longer before deciding that he should get the other settled into bed before getting ready to eat dinner.

**I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter as much as they seem to the others, I'm trying to put a lot of thought into their interactions and am trying as hard as I can to keep them in character. **

**Lili974WOLF: thank you very much for the view, I'm glad you like the story^^**

**Irencakes: I'm glad to hear that you like the story, I can see where the similarities are between my story and "Okane ga nai", I suppose that kind of setting just really seems to be fit Viewfinder well, in some ways at least^^**

**XXxRizYxXx: Glad to hear that you like the story^^ I'm going to try and keep a steady stream of updates going if I can. **


	5. Chapter 5

Asami had just barely brushed a hand through Takaba's hair when the other's eyes slowly fluttered open, slightly unfocused as they stared at him still hazy with sleep. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Takaba spoke.

"Welcome back." He told Asami, his voice rather low and still sleep riddled, as Asami removed his hand from the other's hair, watching as Takaba did a small stretch through probably not as large as he would've liked as he recoiled back onto himself more then likely in pain before looking up at Asami again who was kneeling there staring at him. "I was expecting you to be coming home a lot sooner then this." Takaba commented as he slowly stared to sit up as Asami stood.

"Work kept me longer then I had expected it to." Asami replied as he watched the other run a hand through his hair, still trying to work the sleepiness out of himself.

"I don't know if it'll taste good or not but I made something for dinner if you're interested in eating." Asami seemed surprised for a few seconds after the other told him this, they shyness evident in his voice. The silence was a little longer for Takaba so he started subconsciously shifting under Asami's gaze as he sat on the loveseat.

"I take it that that's what sitting on the table?" Asami questioned as he turned to look at the covered dishes on the table.

"Yeah, I had Kirishima help me out because I didn't really know where everything was." Takaba replied, watching as Asami made his way over to the table, seeming intent to eat. "Let me serve it up for you." Takaba told Asami causing the other to turn and look back at him as he slowly got up.

Asami was patient as Takaba took his time to get everything ready, making sure that it all in perfect order on the table as Asami sat there watching him. Once everything was taken care of Takaba took a seat at the table, not showing much interest in eating right away but rather watching Asami to see what the other thought of the taste of the food.

Takaba hadn't ever really cooked all that much and while Kirishima had even told him there was nothing to worry about because it tasted good he still worried about what Asami would think of the taste.

Asami didn't hold the boy in suspense as he took the first bite, it was a rather small bite, but he wanted to get a good feel for the flavors before he fully started tucking in. Asami took his time tasting the food as he enjoyed watching how nervous the boy was, waiting rather impatiently to know how he thought the food tasted.

"It isn't bad at all." Asami replied before getting ready to take a second bite, the boy visible relaxed when he said this, pleased that he had managed to do something right.

Now knowing that Asami liked what he had made Takaba had no problem with tucking into his own food and eating at a rather good pace.

The meal was eaten in relative silence, it bothered Takaba a certain amount, but he wasn't all that certain of what he should say to the older man anyway, he was still too nervous around the other to really know what to talk about.

One thing that he was starting to understand was the fact that if he didn't cause any problems Asami just left him alone. Takaba also hoped that maybe if things kept going this well that it would mean he'd be closer to gaining freedom.

Once dinner was completely finished Asami allowed Takaba to take care of the dishes while he sat the table smoking, his eyes never leaving the boy's back as he carefully cleaned each dish.

Once Takaba was done and was just standing near the sink not certain what to do next Asami put out his cigarette and made his way as towards the bedroom, looking back to see if Takaba was going to follow. The boy hesitated for a few seconds before following after the other.

Once at the bedroom door Asami opened it and allowed Takaba to go inside first. Takaba went in as Asami expected him to, but what he didn't expect was Asami to suddenly wrap his arms around the other and pull Takaba tightly against his chest. Takaba's breathing hitched from the close contact, not being comfortable with it at all.

"There's something that you and I need to have a little talk about." Asami purred in Takaba's ear, liking the way the boy tried to pull away from him.

"What do we need to talk about the requires for you to be so close to

Me?" Takaba questioned as he tried his hardest to lean away from the other so he couldn't breath in his ear as he spoke.

"Despite the fact that it might make you cute, you really shouldn't play innocent." Asami told Takaba, giving the boy's ear a tentative lick as a warning.

"Stop that!" Takaba hissed, not liking the feeling one bit, "And what hell am I being innocent about?"

"Oh, are you trying to tell me that you didn't do something bad while I was gone that you need to tell me about? Lying will only cause your punishment to be that much worse, because you should know that bad boy's who like deserve to be punished." Despite the fact that Takaba was squirming as hard as he could to get out Asami's grasp the other didn't stop from licking a trail from Takaba's ear to his law line, enjoying the taste of the other. Takaba was now squirming harder then ever to get away from the other, but what he wasn't realizing was each time that he attempted to move his hips to pull away from the other and each time Asami brought him back into place, the only accomplishment that he was making was causing the older man to become hard.

"I didn't do anything that I shouldn't have while you were gone, if I did and was lying wouldn't Kirishima have told you since he was pretty much around me all day?" Takaba questioned, almost to the point of being willing to bit Asami's arm if it meant that the other would let him go. Asami seemed to ponder over Takaba's question, purposely irritating the boy more as he took his time to think about what the other had told him.

"I suppose that you are correct." Asami finally replied, unwrapping his arms from around the boy's waist and allowing Takaba to move away from him, but not very far before he spun the boy around quickly and without warning smashed their lips harshly together. Takaba was completely taken by surprise by this action and his hands immediately went to the other's chest in order to push Asami off him, not liking what was going on one bit.

Asami wasn't planning on letting Takaba pull away any time soon and in order to keep the other better in place he put a hand behind Takaba's head, deepening the kiss in the process, but not quite being granted access to the other's mouth.

When the kiss started going on much too long for Takaba's taste he did the only thing he knew that he could do at the current moment in time that would allow him to be able to get some oxygen in, he bit Asami's lip. He didn't bite the other's lip hard enough to draw blood, but rather enough to get his attention and let him know that he didn't want to be lip locked with the other anymore.

The trick did seem to work because Asami pulled back mere seconds later, this time Takaba didn't waste any time in backing away from the other, while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You don't like?" Asami questioned, running his tongue along his lip to take in the left over the taste of the other, boy was certainly an exquisite taste. Asami needed to remind himself that he needed to try and do that to the boy more often.

"No I fucking didn't!" Takaba snapped back, glaring at Asami as hard as he could even though the other didn't seem fazed one bit by his look which only served to piss Takaba off that much more. "What happened to the 'hands off' policy that was between us?" Takaba questioned as Asami took a step towards him, making the other very uncomfortable.

"That's something that was agreed to only while we're in bed at night, that wasn't something that was made to go straight across the board." Asami replied, halting in his approach of the boy when it seemed as though the other wasn't going to allow him much closer.

"Don't you even dare think about touching me again." Takaba hissed as he kept the huge distance between him and Asami despite knowing that there wasn't any real way for him to escape the other considering Asami was blocking the door- the only escape route in the room.

"I don't plan on touching you again, that was only a simple warning to remind you that you should stay on your best behavior if you don't want that kind of thing happening again." Asami told the boy, as he got ready to start undressing for the night. Takaba didn't say anything as he stood there watching the other. Takaba found his eyes wanting to stray over the other's body but he looked away before Asami had a chance to see his gaze and comment on it. "Aren't you going to join me and get ready to go to sleep?" Asami questioned causing the other to turn and look at him. Asami was already lying in bed and under the covers when he asked Takaba this question.

"You can't honestly be expecting me to sleep with you can you?" Takaba questioned as he folded his arms over his chest causing Asami to smile, it was obvious to the older man that the other didn't plan on moving from his spot any time soon.

"Do you plan on sleeping somewhere else? I won't suggest even mention the loveseat as I don't plan on letting you out of this room while I'm asleep, or are you insinuation that you plan on sleeping on the floor?" Asami's whole attitude about the situation proved to do nothing more then piss Takaba off more then he already was. Takaba had a point to make though and he didn't plan on moving from his spot any time soon.

"You really should just get into bed before I come over and have to haul you over here, I already assured you mere minutes ago that I have no intentions to touch you while we're in bed together." Asami could see the boy's resolve starting to falter a slight amount, but he still didn't make a move towards the bed. "Takaba." Asami said the boy's name in a low and deep tone that caused Takaba to flinch slightly, "I really don't think that you want a repeat of what happened just mere minutes ago do you? If not I suggest you come over here right now, because if you don't I'll most certainly make you regret making me get out of bed." Asami's eyes told Takaba that he was very serious about his threat and that was enough to make Takaba relent, he really didn't want to have to deal with the other kissing him again, once was bad enough as it was.

"I swear to god though that if you even attempt to try and touch me that I will hit you." Takaba warned as he carefully crawled into his side of the bed, making sure to keep a good distance between him and Asami, still not trusting the other. Asami couldn't help but to smirk at Takaba's words as he watched the other's back, the boy very much so reminded Asami of a cat, and if said boy had a tail Asami wasn't certain that he would be able to refrain from touching it even if he did try to hold as much self control over himself that he could muster. Turning his back towards the other Asami shut his eyes as he also got ready to go to sleep, tomorrow at least he could stay home again.

Asami woke up the next morning to the sound of Takaba out of bed and in the shower; he was honestly surprised that boy didn't attempt to leave his side during the middle of the night. Asami allowed himself to languidly lie in bed for a few moments, as he waited for the other to get out of the shower.

Asami was semi disappointed over the fact that when Takaba did get out of the bathroom he was already full dressed and just finishing toweling his hair, he gave Asami a strange look but didn't say anything to the other as he put his towel in the hamper, not liking the fact that Asami was watching his every movement.

"Shower's free if you want to use it." Takaba told Asami when it didn't seem like the other was going to take his eyes off of him any time soon.

"It's kind of you to let me know, but I think that I would prefer laying in bed snuggling you then taking a shower." Asami told the boy, giving the other a suggestive look that Takaba pointedly ignored.

"If you plan on just lounging in bed all day I'm going to go ahead and head down to get breakfast ready." Asami almost felt tempted to pout over the fact that Takaba was actually going to be leaving him alone, not like he expected the other to take him up on his offer, but it was a nice thought any ways.

Asami allowed for Takaba to leave the room before deciding to get up and around and prepare for the morning, Takaba was making breakfast after all and Asami was certain that he wouldn't be disappointed with what the other prepared.

Takaba was still having a hard time finding his way around the kitchen even after Kirishima had shown him where everything was so by the time that Asami came down he was only half way done with breakfast, but he had managed to already have Asami's tea waiting for him on the table. Takaba didn't even acknowledge the older man as he entered the kitchen, despite the fact that he felt the other's eyes on his back while he kept himself rather busy.

Breakfast was rather simple despite the fact that it took Takaba a bit of time to make it, Asami was plenty preoccupied the entire time the other was busy because at least he got to watch him work. Asami however did find one problem with letting the boy into the kitchen, and that had to do with the fact that the apron fit the other too well for his own good, almost as though Takaba was made to take care of house chores. Asami held his mouth though because he was certain that the boy wouldn't be pleased with Asami telling him this.

"You seem to be making yourself rather comfortable around here." Asami commented after breakfast was finished and Takaba was once again taking care of the dishes while Asami sat at the table smoking.

"What else do you expect me to do?" Takaba questioned as he finished washing the last plate, setting it down to dry he turned to face Asami, "It's not like you're planning on letting me go anytime soon, so might as well make the best of my situation until I can find a way out of it."

"So you still haven't given into the fact that you're stuck here until I say otherwise?" Asami questioned with a raised eyebrow, thinking that maybe the other had started to come to terms with the situation that he was in.

"No way in hell do I plan on staying here for the rest of my life. I still have a lot of things that I want to get done." Takaba huffed as he made his way towards the table, keeping a good distance away from Asami because he still feeling rather uncomfortable around the other and he had no problem showing that whatsoever.

"Well as long as you don't intend to cause problems any time soon I'm fine with you continuing to do things the way that you are, if you continue behaving like this I might even think about taking you out some time soon." Takaba tried to hide the fact that he was thrilled over the though of Asami's words, but he didn't do the best job he could hiding it. "For now though you should continue to behave, I'm going to be busy in my office for a while." Asami told Takaba as he stood up and put out his cigarette, Takaba watched the other as he made his way to the room that was completely off limits to him. Takaba hadn't even thought about going into that room yet even though he wanted to, after all this was only his second day of being able to be around the house without any problems and he wasn't quite ready to get into any trouble with Asami yet, at least not after what had just happened the night before, Takaba still felt rather weird after that incident. Takaba was pleased though that Asami wasn't going to be in his face for a while because that meant he was going to be able to have some time to himself for a while.

Takaba managed to keep himself busy for about three hours, between lounging around in the room and taking a nap, then going from that to reading a book while dozing slightly and then just resting in the living room without there really being anything for him to take care of. Takaba wouldn't really say that he was bored, more that he was restless because there really wasn't anything for him to do since Asami wasn't in his face.

Takaba soon however did find something that he could do that shouldn't really cause any problems with Asami, and that was making the other a cup of tea, Takaba knew for a fact that since Asami had gone into his office that he hadn't come out once, probably too busy with whatever it was he was taking care of to think about getting anything to eat or drink so Takaba figured that he could at least take of bring something to drink to the older man.

The tea of course didn't take too long to make and Takaba approached the office door a mere five minutes after he set off to take care of the task, getting ready to knock on the door he stopped when he heard the sound of Asami talking, more then likely on the phone.

"The boy, he's been doing fine the last few days, still taking quite a bit of time to settle in, but getting better and not causing much problems." There was a pause for a few seconds and Takaba guessed Asami must've been smoking because he resumed speaking shortly, "I haven't had the time to touch him much yet, he's still rather shy about even being near me and I don't want to hurt the little trust that is between us." Takaba couldn't hear most of the words that were being said and the few that he could make out weren't enough to give him that good of an idea of what was being talked about, he did however guess that by the words that were being said that Asami must've been talking about him. "I don't intend to keep him here for much longer, I think it would be bad for me to do that, yet I'm not quite ready to set up a date yet. Give another few days and I'll call you back to set up the sell date. By then I'll be able to give you a bit more helpful information about him if he's willing to let me get any closer to him, if nothing changes by then, then you're just going to have to wait a few more days then planned." There was silence for quite a while and Takaba guessed that by the way that it carried on Asami must've been done speaking on the phone. Takaba stared at the tea in his hands for a few seconds before shaking his head and moving away from the door, deciding that it wasn't the best time to be bringing the other something to drink.

Dinner went by rather quickly and then it came time to get ready for bed again, Takaba still wasn't that much more trusting of Asami and that amused the other to no end and he found it hard not to tease Takaba about despite the fact that he wasn't as puffy about the whole matter as he usually was.

Takaba was more preoccupied at the moment with the fact that he had seen where Asami had put the key to his office and of course he had a plan to steal that key when the other was asleep, he mightn't have heard what exactly Asami was talking about, but what he did hear was enough to perk his interest and make him look around into what exactly was going on. He was certain that he had at least heard the word 'sell' and as much as he didn't want to think about, he really wanted to know if Asami was going to be planning on selling him anytime soon, that way he could at least make plans before the other had a chance to get that far.

When it came time to sleep, Takaba did something that he knew he was going to regret quite for quite a while after he had done it, he had decided to snuggle up against Asami, the other seemed surprised by his actions but didn't mention anything as he allowed the boy to curl against him.

Takaba didn't feel all that comfortable in his current position, though Asami did do a good job of keeping him warm, he just hoped that his plan in all of this was going to work and that Asami wouldn't suspect that something was up with him nor would he end up waking up in the middle of the night when he was up and around. Takaba surprisingly ended up falling asleep before Asami did, this of course pleased the older man because it allowed for him to have the chance to run his hand through the boy's hair while the other was sleeping so he couldn't complain about the action. Sleep did however claim Asami not long after the boy had fallen asleep.

Takaba felt slightly guilty over what he was doing, but not enough to make him stop before he ended up getting himself into any kind of major trouble, Takaba just really wanted to know what was going on.

It was the middle of the night when he had managed to sneak away from Asami's hold while the other slept hard, he also managed to get away with grabbing the key without waking the other up in the process. Now he just needed to be able to get into the office with the key and back out without waking Asami up.

Takaba wasn't all that certain what it was that he was going to be looking for once he was in Asami's office; he just figured he would know when he saw it.

Takaba took his time taking in everything with the small amount of light that was available to him, he didn't waste too much time though before he got to task of searching around. Documents is what he figured that he would start looking through first, because Asami always seemed to be busy with some documents or other and Takaba had a good guess that that's where he'd find something important.

Takaba did managed to find quite a few suspicious documents, most of them didn't make any sense to him though, names were written in different colors on them, what appeared t to be sums of money were written on another part of the page along with another name that was writing in a different color from the first name. Takaba found quite a few more of those kind of documents and it wasn't until he had gone through quite a few of them to see that most of them were done in the same fashion that he realized what was going on. Even more so when he found another piece of paper that practically explained everything to him.

Takaba shook his head as he set the pieces of paper down on the desk, not really believing what it was that he was seeing, rather being too shocked to believe what it was Asami was doing. What got Takaba's heart racing more though was when he found a piece of paper that had his name on it, done in the same kind of form as the other's were done in, the only difference about that piece of that had his name on it was with the fact that there was no other name put on the other side of the paper yet, but if he had to make a guess then he guessed that Asami was planning on selling him soon and that phone call he heard was about him.

Takaba took slow steps away from the desk and chair, not certain what to make of what he had just found out. Sure he thought that Asami had a few issues and he mightn't have liked the other, but Asami hadn't really done anything that bad to him aside from the kiss and as much as Takaba didn't want to admit it he was starting to feel comfortable around Asami, almost to the point where he could say he was slowly starting to trust the other even if he didn't like it. Now Takaba was starting to feel as though all of that had just been brushed to the side, because even if Takaba hadn't been sold before, it seemed that Asami was going to push him into being sold even if he didn't want to be.

Takaba's body started reacting before his mind could completely follow the train of thought, all he knew was that he needed to get away from this place-get away from Asami. Takaba didn't really care where it was that he went to, he just knew that he needed to get away before Asami woke up and found out what he had been doing, he was certain that the other wouldn't be pleased to find out that he was sniffing around where he shouldn't have been.

Takaba wasn't all that certain how long exactly he had been running for, he just knew that he needed a break or his lungs were going to give out on him. He was surprised that when he rushed out of the pent house that there wasn't anyone there to stop him, he had kind of worried over if Asami would have guard or someone of the sort posted outside to stop him, but he was rather pleased when no one came forward to stop him, it made his route to freedom that much easier.

Takaba looked around himself, trying to figure out where exactly it was that he had led himself to, though nothing looked familiar enough to help him figure out where it was that he was. Takaba hadn't even taken the time to grab his cell phone or anything else that Asami had taken from him; he had just run without thinking about anything else.

Takaba knew a number by heart though, one he knew that he could call if he could find a pay phone somewhere nearby, after that he could only hope that the other would be willing to pick up and talk to him, being the middle of the night Takaba worried that the other wouldn't hear him calling if he was asleep.

Takaba did somehow manage to find a payphone and thankfully there was enough change left in it for him to make a call, what trembling fingers he dialed the number as quickly as he could. Almost holding his breathe as he waited for the other pick up.

"Aki, what's wrong?" the voice on the other end didn't sound tired in the slightest bit.

"Fei-nii" Takaba breathed out the name as he held back a sob, pleased that the other had picked up.


	6. Chapter 6

Asami knew the moment that he woke up that something wasn't quite right. He didn't even have to open his eyes to feel the lack of heat next to him, since he wasn't exactly certain what time it was he wasn't concerned about the fact that Takaba wasn't resting next to him because it was easy for him to presume that the other wasn't just taking a shower. Asami waited for a few seconds and after not hearing the sound of running water he reevaluated the situation and decided it was time to check and see where the other was.

Opening his eyes Asami saw that it was still dark outside, not even a hint of light coming from the window in the room. That was the first off thing that Asami noticed, Takaba had never left the room before when it was still dark out, unless of course it was to use the bathroom but then he usually came right back to bed without wasting time. Getting up Asami turned the lamp on next to the bed before making his way over to the bathroom door, listening from the outside he didn't hear anything at first so he didn't bothering knocking before opening the door, of course Asami wasn't all that surprised to find the bathroom empty.

Under most other circumstances he'd have immediately grabbed for his cell phone to call for Kirishima to let him know, but he wanted to be perfectly certain that the boy was no longer anywhere inside the house.

Slipping into his robe he stepped into the main part of the house, the living room light was on and that made Asami suspicious, for knew that that was where his office was. He didn't think though that Takaba could've been in there since he had made sure to lock it after he had left.

Of course it didn't take long for Asami to put the situation in bedroom together with the fact that Takaba had been watching him so intently when he had first gone in there. Asami had thought that it was strange for the boy to want to snuggle so closely to him, but he had just been hoping that it was just that the other was starting to warm up to him and that he wasn't going to be so nervous around him anymore. Of course Asami didn't take in account the fact that the boy could've been scheming something in his mind, Takaba didn't seem like the cunning type in his mind. Asami had mentally correct himself on this matter simply due to the fact that he knew the boy had been on the street before, thus meaning that the other had more then likely learned to be rather clever and cunning if he wanted to get around without getting into much trouble.

Even if Takaba did happen to have someone that was taking care of him for the most part, that didn't meant the other still wasn't getting around on his own.

Asami stalled outside of the leaving room, heading for the small one draw table at the far corner of the kitchen he fetched his box of cigarettes, carefully pulling one out he placed it softly in his mouth before reaching back down to retrieve the lighter and gingerly light the object in his mouth. Asami shut his eyes as he savored the feeling of the nicotine in his system, steeling him for whatever it was that he was about to see, because he was certain that if the boy had been rooting around in his office that the other was no longer going to be in the area. Asami took one deep breath in and then a second before opening his eyes and continuing his way to his office.

Asami wasn't all that surprised to see the door slightly ajar nor the light still left on, Asami took care as he bumped the door gentle open with his foot, just incase the other still happened to be inside the room even though Asami knew he wasn't going to be.

Asami had honestly expected to see a much greater mess then the sight that he was met with, certainly there were some documents laying on the ground and quite a few things had been gone through in a rather messy manner, but compared to damage level he had expected Takaba to handle things with, the damage was something that Asami could easily take care of without much of a problem.

Taking slow steps into the office Asami began to pick up some of the papers that were on the ground, looking at each and everyone as he did so, not all that surprised by what the boy had found, just by looking at them Asami already knew the reason why the other had fled.

Asami still hadn't pulled out his cell phone by the time that he had put everything back in it's place and even gone so far as to make sure it was back in the exact order it had been in before Takaba had gone through it all. Asami would have to admit that not even he was all that certain what now was exactly stopping him from calling Kirishima and telling him about what had happened and having the other start searching for the boy right away.

It had nothing to do with the fact that Asami wasn't angry at the boy for what he had done, because for Asami to say that he wasn't angry Takaba would mean that he was in fact lying, for Asami was actually rather furious about what had happened. The boy had disobeyed him on a rather large scale considering he had so easily broken two of the rules that Asami set forth for him like they didn't even matte. So what was Asami's reason for not contacting Kirishima?

Asami knew as he looked around the office and guessed what had happened with the boy that it had something to do with the fact that he knew the other needed some time away from him. Asami knew for a fact that it really wasn't going to be all that much trouble to get his hands back on Takaba, boy didn't really have any place that he could really hide from Asami sat. After all Asami had looked up everything he could on the boy and even knew the address of his friends if it just so happened that the boy did manage to get away from him.

Of course Asami also knew that for many different reasons that it wasn't all that safe for Takaba to be out and running around on his own, that Asami supposed was the only real reason why he ended up pulling his cell phone out of his pocket so that he could call Kirishima- he didn't want the boy to end up getting hurt.

Asami didn't even have to wait for two rings before Kirishima had picked up, ready for action.

"Takaba went missing, he got into my office and saw a few things that he shouldn't have. I don't know his current location right now, but he couldn't have gotten very far."

"I understand, I'll make sure to dispatch the search time right away." By the background sound Asami could tell that Kirishima was already on his cell phone dialing another number. Asami knew without a doubt that he could always rely on Kirishima to make sure that everything was taken care of him.

"Just make sure that they understand that they're not to hurt him anyway, do I make myself clear?" Asami only waited for the acknowledgement on the other end of the phone before hanging up. Asami would most certainly make sure that Takaba understood what he had done wrong when he got him back. What the boy had done couldn't go unpunished.

Even though it was still rather and would be a good hour or two before the sun came up, Asami already knew after everything that had happened his day had already started whether he wanted it to or not, so the only thing that he could do was make the best of his time and get what work he needed to done and out of the way in case something more major came up.

Asami's mind didn't leave Takaba for a second; it still surprised him that the boy had managed to do what he had done. Asami wasn't the kind of person that was easy to fool, but somehow Takaba made it seem like it was such an easy thing to accomplish, the boy even had the nerve to take the key with him when he left, regardless of if he had done it on purpose or not.

Asami had hardly gotten out of the shower before the sound of a cell phone ringing reached his ears, he knew right way by the sound that the cell phone wasn't his. Asami realized though that if the boy wasn't planning on leaving that more then likely his cell phone had been left on the nightstand where Asami had placed it.

Asami didn't bother putting anything on before stepping out of the bathroom and making his way through the room to where the cell phone was sounding off on the night stand. Asami hadn't looked through the collection of numbers that were on the boy's phone, but he guessed that whoever was calling was more then likely one of the other's friends so it would only benefit Asami if he answered the call.

"Aki, is that you?" the voice on the other end of the phone sounded rather worried and cautious. Asami paused for a few seconds before deciding that it should be safe to speak.

"Might I ask who this is calling?" Asami questioned, not all that surprised by the silence that met his question, he knew the sound of his voice had more then likely caught the other off guard more then a slight amount. Asami focused on the background noise and could faintly make out the sound of another voice and he knew his right in his deduction when the voice that spoke was different from the one that had called.

"This is Takato speaking, Takaba Akihito's friends, might I ask who I'm speaking with?" Asami had to award the boy for his polite manners and for the cautious way he handled the situation, so the boy did have some good friends.  
>"Asami Ryuuichi." Asami replied, again silence met his words and he waited for the other to start speaking again.<p>

"Is it safe for me to talk with Akihito?" Takato then questioned causing Asami to pause for a few seconds as he weighed out the kind of answer that he should give the boy's friend.

"He's currently not available to speak with." Asami replied.

"Did something happen to him?" when the other spoke this time he didn't try to hide the concern that leaked through in his voice.

"He's in perfectly fine condition, he's just sleeping at the moment." Asami replied, not really wishing to get the other's friends involved in what is going on. "I have no problem calling you back when's awake and ready to speak with you." Asami told the other.

"Alright." Takato replied rather hesitantly, not seeming to believe what Asami was saying to him. "One more thing before you hang up." Asami stopped himself from pressing the end call button as he waited to hear what the other wanted, "What kind of relationship do you have with our friend and why do you have his cell phone?" Asami again paused as he thought about this question.

"I'm just simply keeping an eye on the boy while he stays here for a few days." Asami replied, he knew by the heavy silence that met his words that Takato didn't believe what he was saying, but he didn't bother waiting for the other to say anything else before he hung up. Asami had other more important matters at hand to worry about, such as getting a hold of Takaba again.

**: I have to warn you that things are only going to get worse for our poor Aki at this point…**

**XXxRizYxXx: Yes, Feilong actually plays a very big role in all of this^^**

**DaemonKeiran: It kind of is and it kind of isn't, everything will be explained as long as I keep up dating properly ^-***

**Otala: Aki will certainly be punished, but Asami is going to have be forced to wait some to have his fun. For what I have planned to happen next Asami will have to be rather careful with the boy. Of course Takaba would be worried about being sold again, but not because of what his friend supposedly (since he's still kinda in denial about that whole thing, despite the evidence that as shown to him) but rather due to the fact that he doesn't trust Asami. Asami will indeed reveal some of his motivation latter on and once I get to that point in the story everything will make a rather nice amount of sense, or so I hope that it will^^**


	7. Chapter 7

Takaba's eyes scanned the room in agitation, despite the fact that he knew he was safe for the time being he just couldn't bring himself to calm down even the slightest amount, nor could he stop the nervous action of his foot moving up and down as he tapped it lightly on the ground.

He knew his hands were shaking lightly as he held a tight grip on the cup of warm tea that had been placed in front of him, despite the grip he had on the glass he wasn't even really aware of it's existence as his eyes started at the doorway from where he sat at the living room table, the doorway that he knew lead to the kitchen and where Feilong had gone mere moments ago. Takaba knew from experience that the other was more then likely going to be coming back with some food for him, food that he knew he'd be able to hardly eat, and even if he did manage to force it down he wouldn't be able to taste much of anything past the large lump in his throat and the burning ball in his stomach.

Of course Takaba was right with his guess and when Feilong came back out of the kitchen he was carrying a plate that had something that looked absolutely delicious. Takaba smiled back when Feilong gave him a soft smile as he sat the plate down on the table before the younger male. Takaba looked away from Feilong when the other took the seat opposite of him and waited patiently while looking at him, more then likely wanting to know what exactly was going on with Takaba and why he was so frantic for older male to pick him up. Even though Takaba couldn't look Feilong directly in the eye he had no problem glancing over at the other and admiring him.

Feilong was a rather elegant figure to behold. Feilong was a tall, slender, pale skinned, longhaired, gorgeous Chinese man who held the beauty of a woman while still looking masculine. For the most part Feilong was very gentle and soft-spoken, having quite a great deal of patience to deal with most people. Though he didn't have a habit of losing his temper that easily when he did he could be rather hurtful with the words that he used. Of course Takaba had never been on the receiving end of Feilong's rather for the Chinese man was rather fond of him and tended to take great care around Takaba, knowing his situation he tried his hardest never to be too harsh with the boy.

"You seem so distant right now, what is bothering you so greatly?" Feilong's words caused Takaba to look up at him for a moment before looking back down at the food that had been placed in front of him, not all that certain that he should really tell the other what was bothering him.

"Nothing is really bothering me, I just wanted to come and see you." Takaba replied as he picked up the chopsticks next to his plate and started messing with the food that had been placed in front of him, rather certain that Feilong was going to see through his lie without even having to think twice about.

"Takaba, both you and I know that you've never sounded so frantic before just because you've wanted to come and see me. We've been out of touch for a few days and I haven't seen you at all in that time. You've lost some weight and it's obvious by the clothes you're wearing that you've been staying some place. What's going on?" Takaba shifted uncomfortable under the other's hard gaze, knowing that Feilong wasn't going to leave him alone until he got the answers he was looking for. An image of Asami suddenly entered Takaba's mind and that caused the boy to shiver without thinking of what he was doing, Feilong of course noticed this. "Have you been in contact with Kou or Takato recently?" Takaba shook his head at this question.

"They've been gone on a school trip the last few days, they said they'd call me when they got back." Takaba replied, taking a small bite of the food, forcing himself to swallow and chew it while under the other's watchful gaze.

"Where's your cell phone at?" Feilong then questioned causing Takaba to freeze, realizing that he hadn't grabbed back any of his stuff before leaving Asami's penthouse, he totally forgotten that none of it was on him when he left. "Did it die, is that why you called me on the pay phone?" Takaba shook his head, not really wanting to lie to Feilong, but knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to give the other all the information. "Then you left it at the place you were staying at?" Takaba bit his bottom lip as he nodded his head in a yes causing Feilong to sigh. "You really need to be more careful in matters such as these, what if something serious had happened and you weren't close enough to make a call on a pay phone, what would you have done then?" Takaba looked away from Feilong when the other asked this question.

"Sorry, I'll make sure to be more careful in the future." Takaba replied causing Feilong to sigh once again as he stood up from the table.

"I don't expect you to apologize for what happened, I just expect you to be more careful in the future." Feilong told the other as he took away the plate that was in front of him; the other seemed to know that Takaba wasn't going to be able to eat what was placed in front of him. "Come with me then." Feilong told Takaba catching the other off guard as he stood up, ready to follow after the other.

Takaba knew by the direction that they were heading in that Feilong was more then likely taking him to his own room. Feilong probably knew that Takaba hadn't gotten any sleep yet and that the boy would benefit from some rest.

Takaba had never been in Feilong's room before, certainly he had been to the other' house many times before and even slept in the guest room on various occasions but never before had he entered the other's room. Feilong had never told Takaba that he couldn't enter his room Takaba had always just felt that it would be rude to enter it.

"I hope you don't mind sharing a bed with me, if it wasn't so late already I would get the guestroom ready for you, but I think you'd benefit from sleeping with someone tonight." Feilong told Takaba, as he got ready to pull the cover's back. Feilong's words again brought the image of Asami back to the younger man's mind and caused him to shake his head in order to get rid of it.

"I don't really think that I'm going to be able to get any sleep right now." Takaba told Feilong as he took a seat at the bottom of the bed, not looking at the other even though he knew that Feilong was staring directly at him. Feilong stopped what he was doing but didn't say anything as Takaba allowed for his eyes to travel around the room. There wasn't really that much in the room but what was there was well placed and gave a nice feel to the room.

Takaba froze for a few seconds though when his eyes landed on a picture that was sitting on Feilong's dresser mixed in with a few other pictures, most of them Takaba recognized right away because he had taken the pictures together with Feilong. Takaba couldn't see the picture that clearly, but from what he could see, one person and one person only came to his mind and it was the one person that he didn't really want to think about.

Takaba didn't move from his spot at the bottom of the bed to get closer to the picture, not jus because he didn't want to confirm whom he thought was in the picture but because he didn't want Feilong to know that he was staring at the picture either.

"Are you having problems sleeping again at night?" Feilong questioned turning his attention once again back to Feilong who was sitting up at the top of the bed watching Takaba.

"A few problems still." Takaba admitted, watching as Feilong frowned at him.

"Are you certain that you don't need the sleeping pills again?"

"NO." Takaba knew that he probably came across stronger then he had wanted to, but he really didn't want the sleeping pills again. Feilong had forced him to take them once before and while they did allow for him to be able to sleep, they did nothing to get rid of the nightmares that he had while sleeping.

"How about going out with me for a bit then?" Feilong suggested catching Takaba's attention

"Aren't you still tired and in need of some sleep?" Takaba questioned as Feilong smiled at him while standing up.

"Even you should know that since you're here there's no way I'd go back to sleep unless you did, besides that I got plenty of sleep last night so I'm not even that tired any more. I know that it will be good for you to get some fresh air anyway." Takaba got ready to say something in response to Feilong's words when the other's cell phone started ringing suddenly. Feilong pulled the object out of his pocket and looked to see who was calling before glancing back over at Takaba. "Let me take this call first real quick and then I'll be ready to go. It's probably going to be chilly this morning so go ahead and pick out one of my sweaters to wear while waiting." Takaba gave Feilong a nod and a smile before the other left the room. Takaba continued to sit on the edge of the bed even after Feilong had left.

Takaba groaned inwardly to himself as he stood up while biting his bottom lip, he knew for a fact that he could end up getting himself into some serious trouble for what he was about to do because he knew for a fact that Feilong would never approve of him eaves dropping, but with everything that had been going on recently he couldn't really stop himself from doing what he was about to do.

"It took you long enough to pick up." Asami told the other on the end of the phone as he sat in his office looking out the window.

"Even you should know that I'm a busy man who doesn't have a lot of time to waste, don't sound so irritated if it takes a while for me to answer. What is it that you wanted to bother me about today? I didn't think our meeting was until some time next week."

"It's later this week actually." Asami smoothed corrected as he looked at the folder sitting on his desk. "As for what I'm calling about- I think that you should easily know what's going on." Asami wanted to get his current call out of the way as soon as possible, he didn't have much hope that the other knew where Takaba was, but he knew that more then likely the boy would go to someone he thought that he could trust, not even really caring that he could end up causing more problems for the older man when it came to getting him back.

"Your toy ran away?" the other wasn't all that surprised when Asami didn't respond, "And here I would've thought that you'd have kept a better eye on him after I so kindly handed him over for half the price that we originally settled on.

"Firstly he's not my toy and secondly I was keeping a good eye on him, he was behaving himself rather well until he got into something that he shouldn't have."

"Ohh, so a misunderstanding was formed. I hate to tell you that at this point in time there isn't all that much I can do to tell help you when it comes to the point of finding him, even I don't know where he would've gone." Asami paused for a few seconds after the other told him this, not really believing what he said.

"I didn't honestly have that much faith in the fact that he would've gone back to you. Though I'll ask for you to keep an eye out in case he comes around your area."

"Very well, I'll see what I can do to help. I suggest in the future though keeping a better eye on something that you want to keep close to yourself." Asami hardly let the other finish speaking before he shut his cell phone. Sighing to himself Asami took a sip of the glass of whisky that was on his desk. It was already early morning and there were still no traces of the boy. If Takaba had taken his cell phone with him then Asami would have had no problems tracking the other, but since Takaba didn't have his cell phone on him Asami didn't have any other way of knowing where it was that the boy could've been. Kirishima had dispatched as many men as he could and they were searching and combing through every area that they could in search of the boy and they still hadn't found anything. Asami wasn't all that concerned yet because it hadn't been too horrible long yet and that meant that Takaba couldn't have gotten already gotten himself into too much trouble. Closing the folder in front of him Asami was going to get ready to stand up when his cell phone started ringing again.

"Speak." Asami ordered as he answered the phone knowing that it was Kirishima who was calling.

"Sir, I think that we may have found a lead who might possible know where the boy is at." Kirishima told Asami, "He's in our custody right now and I'm bringing him to your office as we speak. He hasn't given out that much information yet but he seems to think that he remembers seeing the boy not that long ago."

"Very good, I look forward to talking to him when he gets here." Asami told Kirishima hanging up since he knew that there was no further information for him. Even if the man didn't know where Takaba was at least Asami would have a short distract for a small amount of time.


	8. Chapter 8

Asami didn't even bother putting his gloves on as Kirishima escorted the man into the office. The man appeared to be slightly older in Asami's opinion, if the slightly graying hair and wrinkled face was anything to go by. The man nervously bowed to Asami before taking his seat.

Asami took his time staring at the man as he took a long drag of cigarette, the older man seemed to know who he was and that would make things considerable easier for Asami because it meant that the other should be more willing to cooperate with him.

"So you're saying that you saw this person?" Asami asked the older man after putting his cigarette out and producing a picture of Takaba for the other to look at. The older man looked at the picture for a few seconds before looking back up at Asami.

"That is correct, I did see this young man." The other told Asami. Things were going well so far in Asami's opinion, it didn't seem like it was going to be much of a problem getting information out of the man, which meant that Kirishima was going to be able to keep himself free to make the necessary phone calls.

"Do you remember where exactly it was that you saw him at, the time too would be helpful." Asami was being polite only because he was going to need the other to relax if he wanted to be able to get the necessary information out of him, if the other was too stiff around him then that could end up causing him to leave out something rather important and valuable.

"I actually saw him a club I frequent." The older man replied, "It was just a few hours ago that I noticed him actually." Asami glanced over at Kirishima when the man told him this, the guard was already busily writing the information down.

"You said just a few hours ago, could you specify the time better." Asami questioned, needing all the information that he could get from the other.

"If I had to give an accurate time I would say that it was about three hours ago." the man replied, seeming to be thinking carefully about the matter.

"What was he doing there?" Asami then questioned, he didn't really like the thought of Takaba being at a club considering that he knew the other was still underage.

"When I first saw him, he seemed confused, lost, and possible disoriented. I thought he looked a little young to be at the club and was planning on asking him why he was there, but before I got the chance someone else who appeared to be his friend came over and started talking to him."

"What happened after that?" Asami pushed as he lit another cigarette, not really liking where the conversation was going.

"He and his friend stood there talking for a few moments before the other started leading the young man away. I didn't think to pursue him since it seemed as though his friend was taking care of him."

"Did you see him any time after that."

"I didn't seem him again inside of the club, however after that incident I didn't stay there for much longer because there was an urgent matter that suddenly came up that I needed to take care of."

"Could you possible tell me what his friend looked like?"

"I can try, though I only got a good look at it once, what I tell you might not be that accurate." The older man replied, eye Asami nervously, not really wanting to upset the other.

"All I need for you to do for me for the time being is try." Asami told the man while waiting for the other to give him the details that he needed to know.

The music was loud and the lights were bright, Takaba's head was pounding and he could hardly remember where he was. The crowd of people around him was rather thick and it was hard for him to move through it. Most of the people weren't even paying any attention to him, most of them were either too busy talking or dancing to the music to care about the fact that he was trying to get around them.

Takaba winced and held his head as he looked around trying to see where exactly it was that Feilong had disappeared. Takaba didn't know anymore why exactly it was that he allowed Feilong to convince him to come to this club.

Feilong had assured him before they came here that this club was perfectly safe for underage people to come to. None of the drinks were alcoholic as it were and even if they did have a certain amount of alcohol Feilong assured him that unless he drank near twenty glass of what the club had to offer he wouldn't even be close to getting.

Takaba had never drank any alcoholic drink in his life before thus he had never suffered from a hangover thankfully, but right now if he had to guess about the way he was feeling, he'd think that it was very close to what having a hangover felt like.

Takaba had taken a small break trying to make his way through the crowd, as it was almost too much trouble to keep trying to get the people to move to side for him. The nasty looks weren't helping him all that much either, he just really wanted to get out of the noisy club and get some fresh air because he was certain that if he could do that that he'd at least feel a little better.

Of course Before Takaba did that he wanted to find out where Feilong had gone to so that he could let the other know what it was that he was planning on doing. Takaba was certain that if he just suddenly left the club that Feilong would be worried about where he went. If he had his cell phone then it wouldn't have been that much of a problem because he could've just called once he was outside and the whole problem would've been solved without any issues, but of course Takaba didn't have his cell phone because he left it where Asami was and there was no way in hell that he'd even think about going back to Asami's pent house, that would've just been too dangerous and stupid for him to think about doing.

When Takaba's head started hurting worse he continued on his journey to get himself through the sea of people, trying his hardest to avoid the random touches that people wanted to lie on him. Takaba wasn't really that type of person who dealt with being touched all that well.

Takaba found himself needing to take another pause once he was outside of the sea of people, or at least into a more open area. His eyes once again scanned the people around him in an attempt to find Feilong, but once again he didn't see the other.

Takaba whined and put his hands over his ears when the music suddenly felt as though someone had turned it up another level, almost to an unbearable point.

Takaba was getting close to the point that if he couldn't find Feilong very soon then he was just going to have t o leave the club without the other even though he really didn't want to, his head was just getting too bad for him to be able to handle much more noise.

"Takaba." Takaba hadn't been expecting the sudden voice nor the hand on his shoulder, so both caused him to turn around so quickly causing him to almost lose his balance and making Feilong have to grab his hand in order to help steady him.

"Fei-nii." Takaba said in a rather low tone of voice, happy to see the other. "I've been looking for you for quite some time." Takaba told Feilong who smiled at him.

"I've also been doing the same so it would seem as though we kept missing each other. There's something that I wanted to talk with you about." Feilong told Takaba who gave him a rather curious look.

"I don't mind us talking, but can we lave this place first, the noise is really starting to hurt my head." Takaba told Feilong as the other grabbed his hand.

"It's fine if we leave here, in fact it might be better for us to talk about this whole thing in private anyway. It wouldn't be very good of too many people overheard us."

"What're we going to be talking about?" Takaba questioned coming to a sudden halt, forcing Feilong to have to do the same thing. Takaba allowed his eyes to scan over Feilong's face as he waited to for the other to speak; Feilong seemed to be doing the same thing with Takaba. Takaba wasn't all that certain what exactly he was looking for on the other's face, but Feilong seemed to find what it was that he wanted because he suddenly spoke.

"Aki, do you trust me?" something very small in the back of Takaba's head told him that he should say no and get his hand away from the other, for he felt something was horrible wrong with the way that Feilong said his nickname, it didn't sound right coming from his mouth.

"I-I." Takaba shut his mouth and bit his bottom lip as he waited for the right words to come to him. He really didn't know what it was that he should be saying or doing, but Feilong really seemed to be hoping that he would say that he did trust him, so Takaba nodded his head yes even though he really didn't want to.

"And you'd be willing to do anything from me?" Takaba stiffened more then a little when Feilong asked him this question, "You would be willing to do anything for me wouldn't you?" Takaba didn't really like being asked this question, it put him in a really bad spot that he didn't want to be put in, it made his chest rather tight for it was a question that he didn't really want to have to answer. Takaba opened his eyes again though when Feilong gave his hand a squeeze. "You would, wouldn't you?" Takaba didn't really like the look that was in Feilong's eyes, for it was one similar to hurt and Takaba didn't really like seeing Feilong look hurt so he knew that he had no choice but nod his head yes once again. The moment that he did this Feilong smiled at him, a smile that Takaba didn't really like all that much.

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Feilong assured Takaba before he continued to lead the other out of the club. Takaba knew that he was being rather stupid, that he shouldn't have said yes to what Feilong had asked him, that he shouldn't still be following the other. Even thought it hadn't even yet been a full twenty-four hours a certain side of him was wishing that he still had his cell phone, because at least then he might've been able to get himself in contact with Asami.

Takaba wasn't all that certain as to where exactly it was that Feilong had lead him to, he just knew that he didn't like the looks of the place.

Despite the fact that the sun fairly high in the sky though it wasn't even noon, the place that they were at was still rather dark and that caused Takaba to feel nervous.

Feilong continued to hold onto Takaba's hand even though he had slowed down his pace some for the other, not wishing to make the other more nervous then he appeared to be. From what Takaba could tell from the place he'd say that Feilong had lead him to a warehouse of some sort. It wasn't that large of a warehouse, but it was large enough to fit quite a few people inside of it.

"What're we doing here?" Takaba questioned once they were inside of the warehouse and Feilong had let his hand to go in order to turn around and shut the door.

"This is a place that I like to come to when I want to get away from things and need some time on my own to think." Feilong explained as he turned on the light causing Takaba to become temporarily blinded.

Now that the light was on Takaba could see that the warehouse was fairly empty, except for a few things that Takaba didn't really like the looks of.

"Why did you bring me here though?" Takaba questioned, taking a small step back when Feilong moved forward to approach him.

"I brought you here because I told you that there was something that I wanted to talk with you about." Feilong replied, sitting down on one of the boxes that were in the room.

"What did you want to talk with me about then?" Takaba questioned, putting quite a bit of distance between him and Feilong as the other's eyes scanned over his body in a way that Takaba didn't really like. The only reason why Takaba stopped backing up was because his back hit one of the counters that were in the warehouse.

"Strip for me." Takaba was visible startled by the command that Feilong gave him, even more so by the look that was on his face when he asked Takaba to do this.

"Wha-what?" Takaba managed to choke out the question, feeling the need to put more space between himself and Feilong when the other suddenly stood up.

"It's not like I want to hurt you, I just want to make sure that nothing happened to you while you were away." Feilong assured Takaba, his words may have said that, but to Takaba his eyes were saying something completely different. \

"No, I won't take off my clothes." Takaba replied, standing his ground, trying to show that he wasn't afraid of Feilong even though he really was. "I can assure you with my mouth that he didn't do anything to hurt me."  
>"Is that so?" Feilong looked rather amused by Takaba's words. "You can say what you want, but I want to see the trust for myself." Takaba had to force himself to stay still even though he wanted to take a step back when Feilong continued to approach him.<p>

"I already told you nothing happened to me." Takaba told Feilong as the other continued to approach him.

"The man you were staying with, happened to be him, am I correct?" Feilong questioned as he set a picture of Asami on the counter. Takaba seemed to freeze as he looked at the picture.

"You knew?" Takaba questioned as he looked up at Feilong again, he had seen the picture of Asami at the other's house, but he hadn't guessed that Feilong knew him that well.

"Of course I knew you were there, and that's exactly why I want to check you over. You've been there for about a week after all, I really doubt that nothing has been done to you thus far."

"How- how do you know that I was staying there?" Takaba didn't really want to ask this question, because by asking Feilong this question it meant that if answered the way that Takaba expected him to then it meant that what Asami told him was correct.

"He really didn't tell you anything?" Feilong sounded amused when he asked this question. "I was certain that he'd at least have been kind enough to provide you details about what happened. Giving me benefit of the doubt is so sweet though." Takaba found himself moving away from the counter when Feilong started taking threatening steps towards. "Sweet yet naïve at the same time, your personality is what gets boys like you in trouble. I really don't want to end up having to hurt you, but if you don't do as I tell you to then that just means that I'm going to have to get rough with you." Takaba was scared of Feilong before they had entered the warehouse, but now his fear had escalated to a totally different level, because now he could feel the real danger that he was in with the other.

Otala: Oh I do also hope that I can keep updating this quickly. Yes there is a lot to happen as it were before Asami and Takaba get the chance to meet again, but I can assure you that Asami won't be breaking Takaba. Asami's reason for believing that Aki probably has something to do with the fact that he's being very gentle and careful with the other. Asami does have a lot to reveal with Takaba, which will also explain another part of the story line along with it. I intend for everything to be carefully explained in the next three chapters- hopefully. Thank you for supporting this story and I also hope that you have a good day^^

**Lili974WOLF: I am glad that you enjoy my story and I hope that I can keep doing a good job making you pleased with it^^**

**XXxRizYxXx: Cat's out of the bag now ^-* his reason for going back would have something to do with the fact that he wanted to see the sold proof with his own eyes rather then just trusting Asami's words and a simple recording that could've been faked.**

**Radcat38: Aki may have heard the voice of the one who sold him, but by believing that the recording was real would mean that he would have to trust Asami when the recording could've simple been a fake, something done to help Asami gain some of Aki's trust. Your guess is correct about the picture^^ But you're going to have to wait for that part to be better explained in the next few chapters. Thank you for supporting this story^^**


	9. Chapter 9

It had been two day since Asami had received the last tip about Takaba Akihito and since that time it appeared as though Takaba had vanished from the face of Japan- no one had seen him since that day.

Asami knew better then to believe that though and that was the one thing that kept him searching for the boy- he knew that Takaba wasn't dead yet, because whoever had him more then likely already knew that Takaba belonged to Asami and if Takaba had been killed then they whoever it was who had the boy would've already shown the body around as a statement against Asami. So of course Asami knew that whoever had the boy was keeping him alive for the time being and waiting to see what he could do.

Asami knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep the search going forever. Kirishima and his men were starting to run out of areas to search in and any thing that looked as though it could be taken as a lead had already been checked out and they were running out of places to look.

Asami wasn't quite ready to give in yet though, for he knew that if he waited long enough and didn't make a move to search for the boy anymore then he already was that the other party would more then likely crack, or at least put something up to test and see how much Asami wanted the boy back.

Asami sat at his desk, cigarette in mouth and glass of whisky on desk as he continued going through the reports that Kirishima had brought in for him. The sun was high in the sky by this point in time but Asami was having a rather difficult time staying focused despite the fact that he had no problem keeping his eyes open. Except for the first night after Takaba had disappeared the other hadn't gotten much sleep if any, most of his free time was spent in his office going through the papers that were building up none stop and that Kirishima seemed to enjoy laying at his feet or hands as it were to take care.

Asami couldn't be upset at the guard though because he knew that the other was only doing as a means to help distract him from what was really bothering him at the moment, even as distracting as it was though it didn't help that much because the moment the papers disappeared Asami would immediately go back to staring out the large window behind his desk and thinking about the lost boy. The only one in so long that caused something to stir inside of him, the only one who interested him after so long.

Asami knew for a fact though that even if he had managed to keep the other out of his office it wouldn't have been that long before Takaba would've attempted to find another way to get away from him. Another side of Asami though wondered if he should've been upfront with the boy and told him everything that was going on from the start. Asami knew that Takaba wasn't all that willing to trust him, but Asami did wonder if that would've made things a little easier for the boy to understand, it may have possible even have helped to keep the other in place for a while longer.

Asami sighed as he grabbed the glass off his desk, draining it in one go before setting it back down and shutting his eyes, he knew that for the time being it would help to give him the necessary energy to keep going on. Putting his cigarette out he turned to face the window once again, looking at the small town below him and the people that were moving around did nothing to take his mind off the current situation at hand, if anything it did nothing more then cause him to become further annoyed with how many people didn't even seem to care that a person had disappeared- weren't even aware of what was going on.

Asami knew though that he hadn't made a mistake by not telling the boy everything from the start, Takaba had been put in a rather bad situation and needed time to settle in before the situation was explained to him, if the boy could've stayed for just a few days longer and not gotten himself into trouble then everything would've been clearly explained to him.

Glancing back at his desk Asami looked at the yellow envelope that had recently been placed in the center of it, the pictures from the other's camera were inside of it and Asami already had given them a look over once at this point in time. Asami wouldn't deny the fact that boy had some good talent when it came to taking photos and if given the chance he'd become rather good in the near future.

The pictures that Takaba had taken were split between him and his 'friend' and various pictures of people and objects, nature shots were what they'd have been classified as and Takaba was rather good at taken them though it didn't seem as though he took many of them. Asami intended to make Takaba pursue the gentler side of photographer if he ever got the chance to get the boy back safe and sound, and if the other wanted to be a photographer.

The soft knock on the office door brought Asami out of his thoughts as he waited for the person to enter the room. Kirishima didn't wait long after knocking to enter the room, knowing that Asami was going to be expecting him.

"Did you find anything new?" Asami questioned, noticing the slight difference in the way that Kirishima was acting.

"We haven't exactly found anything new to work with as of yet, or at least I should say that I don't think that we have. However this was left outside of the club and was specifically addressed to you." Kirishima replied as he handed Asami the small thin manila envelope.

Asami looked the envelope over rather carefully before even thinking about opening it, he knew to be rather careful when it came to such things. Kirishima was still standing and awaiting Asami's orders at the far end of the office while watching the other open the envelope.

Asami was most certainly not expecting the picture that was sitting inside. Asami could feel the anger burning up inside as he looked at the picture, he didn't have to look twice despite the fact that it was taking in rather dim lighting to tell that it was Takaba. It wasn't so much the way that the picture was taking that bothered Asami, but rather the condition of the other. Asami didn't like the sight of the boy being tied and bound; it was done by someone who had no consideration of the other and with intent to more then likely attempt to break the boy.

Despite the fact that he didn't want to take his eyes of the photo, Asami set it down in order to see if there was anything else inside of the small envelope. Asami already knew that besides the picture there was more then likely nothing else for him, not even an address that was left for him to follow.

Asami had a good idea of who exactly it was that he was dealing with and that was exactly why he didn't bother handing the photo or envelope over for Kirishima to have his team inspect, Asami already knew that there weren't going to be any finger prints left to look at, the other was much to through to leave something like that as evidence.

Now with the photo in hand though Asami knew that all he was going to have to was sit and wait for the call to come. Asami was fairly certain that it wasn't going to be all that long that he was going to have to wait for the call to come, because when it came to dealing with the other he didn't like to waste much time.

Asami already had a good idea of what was going to be purposed to him and he was already well aware of how he was going to have to handle the situation if he intended to make everything work properly. Asami didn't even have bother asking to know that Kirishima was already going to be ready to act on a moments notice, after all this wasn't the first time that Asami had to deal with this kind of situation, though this was the first time deal with a situation in of this manner, many similar ones had come up in the past.

Asami knew that he had only waited at most an hour before his phone started going off, already knowing who it was that was calling he picked the phone up right away, checking once to make sure that it was recording before he spoke.

"And here I thought that you had said that you didn't have anything for me." Asami told the other as he looked down at the picture at the desk.

"And at the time I didn't lie to you, there wasn't anything good for me to give to you." Came the reply that caused Asami to smirk.

"Oh and what changed so suddenly for you to be manage to get a hold of him, or at least to hand out such information to me? You should know that I don't intend to be lenient to you in anyway."

"Of course I couldn't except anything less from you, but at the same time I know that you wouldn't go so far as to do anything rash with the boy in my custody, after all I know that you wouldn't want for him to get hurt." Asami could hear from the background noise that the other was moving around quite a bit, but by the way that the footsteps echoed, Asami knew that the other must've been in a rather empty area.

"I know that the only reason why you decided to get into contact with me again is due to the fact that there is something you want that only I have. That's my guess otherwise I'd think that you'd sell him to someone else without so much as a second though, am I wrong in my thinking." Asami didn't enjoy the chuckle that came from the other end of the phone.

"Straight to the point and right as always, there is something that you do indeed have that I'd like and I think that we both know what it is."

"Why do you think that I'd be so willing to give it up to you just because you have the boy?" Asami questioned as he flipped the picture over so that he was no longer looking at the front of it.

"Because if I'm correct you wouldn't want anything to end up happening to your cute boy, I could be wrong but I think compared to some of the other's that you've been around, you've actually become rather attached to this one and would prefer for him to stay safe. Am I mistaken in my assumption?" Asami paused for a few seconds as he weighed how exactly it was that he should respond to this kind of question, knowing for a fact that it wouldn't be that good of an idea for him to tell the other the truth.

"And where exactly would it be that you'd want for us to meet at. I know already that you want to do things by your terms so its useless for me to even think about setting the place or the date, so what do you want for me to do."

"I now that I can always rely on you to get everything correct. I can't exactly say that I want to meet up with you today but I suppose the sooner the better. As far as the place goes, I'll tell you when it's time for you to get ready to leave for us to meet. No sense in allowing for you to rush in too early." Asami didn't like the fact that he was going to have to wait longer to see the boy one bit, but he knew that if he wanted things to go well that he was going to have to exactly what it was that the other wanted for him to do.

"Very well, I'll play your game for the time being as long as you can assure that Takaba will be safe until I get there and the deal is taken care of."

"Of course I can assure that he'll be perfectly safe up until that point, after all he's also someone who's very important to me too." Came the reply before the other person hung up. Asami didn't really like the way that the other said that Takaba was also important to him, for Asami knew without a doubt that what the other had said wasn't true at all.

Asami had to do what the other wanted though, because he knew for a fact that there was high chance that Takaba could end up getting sold again and that would just end up causing more problems, for if the deal was done in private then it would be even harder to find out what exactly was going to end up happening to the boy.

"Kirishima get me another glass." Asami told the other as he held out his glass to him, without saying a word the guard took the glass from Asami and bowed softly before stepping out of the room. Asami could already tell that it was going to end up being another long night for him, for he knew that he wouldn't be getting a chance to see the boy until the next day, and that was only if things were still going well by that point in time.

Takaba couldn't see at all and his movement was rather restricted. His body ached all over and his mind felt rather foggy which made it rather difficult for him to think about much of anything or to even really know what was going on.

He had heard voices talking in the background but from what he had guessed it was just Feilong talking to someone on the phone- there was no one else in the room with them. Takaba couldn't really hear what exactly was being said, but the conversation sounded rather similar to the one that Asami had had one the day he had left. Takaba tried to keep such thoughts out of his mind as he refrained from allowing his body to shiver as he thought about being sold to someone else- he didn't like that thought one bit.

Takaba stiffened when he heard Feilong start to approach him again, he knew that the other was aware of the fact that he was awake again, he just hoped that Feilong wasn't planning on doing anything else to him. Takaba tried to keep his breathing even as the other squatted down next to him; Takaba could feel his breath barely tickling his face.

"It would seem as though he actually cares for you more then I actually thought that he had. I don't plan on keeping you for much longer, but it might be fun to play with him for a while before I give you back." Takaba flinched when Feilong tried to touch his face. Feilong's fingers had barely brushed his face when thoughts of what had happened before flooded his mind and he forced back a whine that wanted to escape his gagged mouth. "Don't worry, I don't intend to hurt you this time. I must say though that I am rather surprised over the fact that he didn't touch you, not even one mark on you to say that he wanted to keep claim over you." Takaba squirmed some when Feilong slowly lifted the bottom of his shirt, the same kind of thing that the other had done to him not that long ago with the same intentions of giving his body a good look over to see if Asami had left a mark of any sort on him.

Takaba wasn't stupid though and he managed to keep his mouth shut about the fact that Asami had kissed him- that wasn't something that Feilong needed to know about, at least not it wasn't. Takaba felt the bile rising up in his throat again as Feilong's hand traveled further up his shirt, only stopping when it reached his chest and began to move slowly over it. Takaba didn't like the way that Feilong was touching him at all for it wasn't done in that gentle of a manor.

"Though it would seem that he doesn't care for you that much I might be mistaken since he's willing to meet with me to make a deal to take you back again. if you keep behaving yourself so well until that point you might be able to go back to him with hardly any damage done." Takaba shivered as Feilong removed his hand from under his shirt and began to slowly card it through his hair. "As long as you don't cause problems until that point then I'll make sure to take good care of you." For once Takaba found himself really hoping that Asami was actually going to come for him, because he could at least deal with Asami better because he didn't have much of a reason to trust the other, but Takaba found that it was quite a bit harder to ignore the fact that you were being hurt by someone that you did think that you could trust. Feilong had done more damage then he had realized to Takaba's mind.

Ajj7sunhawk: Glad to know that you like the story; I'm trying to make things move at a fairly good pace without going too slow or fast. Yes Takaba's going to be rather emotionally and physically hurt. His parents haven't actually hurt him as it were, but that's something that you're going to have to wait until later to find out.

**Eprime: thank you for the review, I hope that you continue to enjoy my story^^**

**XXxRizYxXx: I thank you for thinking that my writing is good^^**

**: As you see, you didn't have to wait that long for the next chapter. I can't wait to read more from your stories ^-***


	10. Chapter 10

Feilong had untied Takaba so that he was able to stand on his own, Feilong had even made his change the clothes he was wearing into something with slightly longer sleeves to hide the injuries he had. The boy was still very shaky and wary of being near Feilong, but he didn't attempt to runaway from the other because he knew that even if he did try he wouldn't be able to get that far.

"Continue to behave yourself like you are now and I'll allow for you to remain unbound while I drive us to your destination." Takaba didn't say anything as he stared at Feilong's back while the other started walking away.

There were still so many questions that Takaba wanted answers to, but at the same time he didn't want to ask his questions because he was certain that the answers he would be given would hurt him more then he already was.

Takaba obediently followed Feilong to the car that was parked right outside of the warehouse, Feilong opened the passenger for him and he got in without hesitating.

The drive was a silent one that Takaba was thankful for, Feilong was completely ignoring him and that meant that he could decompress some. His body and head still hurt like hell but he was able to think more clearly now that he was outside of the warehouse.

Takaba unconsciously rubbed his sore wrists, Feilong had tied them rather tight, but due to the fact that he hadn't moved around a lot the ropes had only succeed in making his wrists raw.

Glancing over at Feilong, Takaba noticed the very intense look on his face, that look was something that Takaba hardly ever saw on the other's face unless something was really bothering him.

Of course these thoughts made Takaba think back to the picture that he saw in Feilong's room, the one that had Asami in it. Takaba could only guess by the way that the picture looked that it had been taken a few years ago, definitely one that was taken before Takaba had come along. Takaba guessed that something major must've happened between Feilong and Asami, but what was the question, and if something did happen between them then why did Feilong still have the picture of Asami?

Takaba flinched slightly when the car came to a sudden halt, Feilong shut the vehicle's engine off but didn't make any move to get out of the car, he just sat there with his hands still on the steering wheel. Takaba didn't dare to move or speak while Feilong sat like that, afraid that he might upset the other if he tried to say anything.

After a few moments of just sitting there, without saying a word Feilong unbuckled himself and got ready to get out of the car, Takaba continued to sit and watch as the other did this.

"Why are you doing this?" Takaba finally asked once Feilong was out of the car and had just opened up his door. Feilong stared at Takaba for a few seconds after his asked this question, the look in Feilong's eyes made Takaba want to sink away from the other.

"Because I want to make him hurt in the same way I did." Feilong replied, unbuckling Takaba and forcing the other out of the car and almost causing him to trip as he was forced into start walking at a brisk pace his feet had a hard time keeping up with.

When they finally did stop walking and Takaba had a chance to look around he noticed that they were standing outside of what appeared to be a rather small and old looking restaurant. Takaba wasn't allowed to look at the outside of the building before Feilong started leading him inside.

The moment that they were inside of the building and Takaba spotted Asami sitting at a table smoking he immediately wanted to bolt, afraid of what would happen to him once he was at the mercy of the other. Feilong had been more then a little rough to him even though he hadn't done anything to the other so how much worse would Asami be since he had not only broken one but two of the rules that the other had set for him. Takaba knew he couldn't run though because of the firm and tight hold that Feilong had on his arm. It was even worse for Takaba as they approached the table and Asami looked up at them, at the point Takaba didn't feel as though he was going to be able to breath due to the way that the other looked at him.

Takaba was careful in taking his seat when Feilong pulled the chair out from him, making him sit directly across from Asami who's full attention was now on him.

"It's nice to see that you could make it." Feilong commented causing Takaba to glance over at him.

"I could've made it here yesterday without any problems, but you're the one who wanted to set the date for today." Asami replied, putting out his cigarette so he wouldn't bother the boy with the smell of it.

"I suppose that we should get ready to order something before we start seriously talking." Feilong commented looking over Takaba who was staring down at his lap, not wanting to meet either person's eyes.

"Very well." Asami agreed when a waiter approached their table, everything on the menu's were written in Chinese so Takaba couldn't read it, though he didn't really want to eat anything in the first place so he just said that he'd be fine with anything that was ordered for him.

"As you can tell they don't speak Japanese here so we don't have to worry about anyone overhearing us." Feilong told Asami after finishing ordering for the three of them.

Asami acknowledged what Feilong told him but his full attention was once again on Takaba who wasn't looking all that comfortable with this current position.

Asami took quick note of the fact that the clothes that Takaba were wearing were a bit large for him and that more then likely meant that the other was hiding injuries. Injuries that had been giving to him by Feilong, just the though of what the other had done to the boy caused anger to swelling up inside of Asami, but he made sure to keep his face passive so he didn't scare the boy anymore then he already was. Asami's eyes went away from Takaba and back to Feilong who was sipping his wine while waiting for the food to be brought over.

The real talking didn't start until after the waiter had brought over their food and had left again. Asami and Feilong had no problem eating their food but Takaba on the other hand could do nothing more then pick at it as he glanced between the two, still not all that certain was to what his exact fate was going to be.

"It's been at least six years since we last saw each other like this." Feilong commented, noticing that Asami didn't even look at him when he said this.

"It doesn't even feel as though that much time has gone by already." Asami replied.

"I suppose it wouldn't feel like that much time has passed by for someone who's been living well this entire time." Asami knew from past experience that Feilong's comment was said in order to get a certain reaction from him, so Asami did what he did best in these kind of situations and didn't react at all, but rather changed the course of the conversation.

"I didn't come here to reminisce about the past with you, I cam here to make deal and get things done with." Asami told the other setting his chopsticks down and turning his full attention back onto to Feilong who didn't seem all that pleased with his curt business attitude.

Takaba had to refrain from whining when he felt the tension; he never dealt with high-tension situation all that well. Knowing that Feilong and Asami knew each other didn't help to make things better for Takaba, in fact it made them much worse, because it was like dealing with the same devil, just as a different person.

"Always straight to the point." Feilong sighed as he also put his chopsticks down. "But I do suppose that we need to get talking about business before this one becomes even more nervous then he already is." Takaba was indeed starting to act more nervous then he had been a few moments ago.

To Takaba Feilong and Asami talking just meant that it got that much closer to him being put back in Asami's hands, and if not his then Takaba was certain that Feilong would find someone else to send him to. To Takaba, even though he really didn't want to end up back with Asami, it was better to end up with him because he kinda knew what he was dealing with rather then being sold to someone else he didn't know anything about.

"You said that there was a certain price that you wanted to name?" Asami questioned, looking away from Takaba who still wouldn't look him directly in the eyes and back to Feilong who was looking expectantly at him.

"I thought I already told you over the phone what the price I wanted was." Feilong replied, watching Asami's expression, Feilong was honestly amused by the fact that Asami was managing to go so long without smoking considering the situation they were in and the only reason he could guess why the other was doing this was because of Takaba. This thought did irritate Feilong to more then a slight degree, to know that Asami actually seemed to care about someone.

"I was just double checking because you seemed rather hesitant when you responded over the phone. Are you certain though that you'll be able to handle such a large sum on your own?" Feilong immediately took Asami's words to be condescending towards him; he allowed his eyes to narrow in a challenging way.

"Of course I can handle it, after all I've been on my own long enough to know the value of such a large sum of money." Asami seem pleased with the other's response because he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed a number. Without removing himself from the table Asami gave his orders through the phone before shutting it and putting it back in his pocket.

Mere seconds passed after Asami had placed the cell phone into his pocket when a burly blond bodyguard came into the restaurant carrying a suitcase followed by Kirishima who Takaba recognized right away.

"The amount that you specified is right in here, you can double check it just to be safe." Asami told Feilong who motioned for the guard to place the suitcase on the table. Standing up Feilong opened the suitcase and looked at the money that was piled inside, Takaba was completely taken aback by the large stacks of money for he had never seen such a large amount of money at one time before.

"I see that I haven't been cheated out of what I asked for. You can take the boy back now." Takaba didn't move from the table even though he was certain that was Feilong's way of telling him to go over to Asami who was now standing. So instead Feilong had to haul Takaba into a standing position by his arm, Asami didn't miss the way that Takaba winced when Feilong did this to him. "Go on." Feilong told Takaba as he gave the other a slight push in the direction of Asami, Takaba took two steps towards the other before stopping. The hesitation evident in his eyes as he looked at Asami, not really wanting to have to back to being with other.

"Kirishima, take Takaba out to the limousine and wait for me there." Kirishima gave a small bow before approaching Takaba, who took a step back from him.

"You have to come with Takaba." Kirishima told the boy who didn't attempt to resist when Kirishima gentle grabbed his arm, making sure not to hurt the other, as he got ready to lead him outside.

Takaba froze mid step when Asami suddenly pulled a gun out and pointed it directly at Feilong who was managing to keep himself rather calm and composed. Asami had been the only who noticed the slight flash of steel in Feilong's hand.

"Kirishima, take him out of here." Kirishima didn't say anything, as he practically had to drag Takaba out of the room, the other was much too stunned to move on his own.

"Good vision as always." Feilong commented, moving his hands away from his shirt and into Asami's line of sight, letting him know that there was no reason to shoot.

"You should know better then to try such things while I'm around." Asami replied, he cocked his gun but Feilong knew that he didn't have to worry about Asami shoot, not unless he did something stupid that was.

"I'm honestly surprised that you're talking such a large interest in this boy, does it have something to do with the fact that he's so similar to me?" Feilong questioned, cocking his head to the side, rather pleased when he got a slight reaction from Asami.

"Your circumstances might have been very similar, but apart from that the two of you are completely different." Asami replied, "Which is why I suggest that you keep yourself away from him. I wouldn't refrain from hurting you if you even think about coming near him again." the warning was clearing Asami's eyes and Feilong knew better then to doubt the other's words.

"Very well, I'll agree not to touch him as long as you do a good job of keeping an eye on him." Feilong replied, watching as Asami lowered his gun and returned it to his breast pocket on his suit. Asami motioned for Souh to follow him as he got ready to leave, not even looking back at Feilong once even though he knew the Chinese man was staring at his back the entire time he left. "I do hope that you take my warning seriously."


	11. Chapter 11

Asami wasn't all that surprised when he got into the limousine to see Takaba curled into the other far corner, the boy not only looked defensive but also very scared. Asami wondered what exactly it was that Feilong had done to the boy; his only guess was physical abuse. Though he knew that there had already been the hit psychologically to find that Feilong really had betrayed him like Asami had first told the boy.

Takaba didn't know if he should've been nervous or thankful over the fact that Asami wasn't paying any attention to him at the current moment in time, it only brought him a slight amount of relief that the older man thus far wasn't touching him. His relief wasn't much though considering he still had to worry about what would happen to him once he got back to the other's pent house, or at least that was where he guessed they were heading towards.

Takaba curled himself further into the corner when he heard Asami's cell phone begin to ring, he didn't think that the other would sell him again so quickly, but considering everything that had been going on he really didn't know how much time it was that he had left, before Asami might think about selling him.

As the ride went on Takaba began to feel the exhaustion start to hit him, he knew that had been more then twenty-four hours since the last time he had been able to get any sleep whatsoever and his body was really starting to feel the affects from it. His adrenaline rush might've been wearing off but he couldn't allow himself to fall asleep yet, not with Asami being so close to him even if the other wasn't paying attention to him.

Seeing Asami holding a gun had brought back some memories to Takaba that he'd have preferred to not have remembered, memories that he'd only been able to slightly get out of his recently. Memories that caused Takaba to shiver just from the thought of them.

Asami wasn't all that interested in what was being said on the other end of the phone as he took care of each call that came to him, answering the phone was just a distraction that helped keep him from staring at Takaba who didn't look like he needed the extra pressure on him. Asami knew that with everything had just happened it was going to take the boy as few days to adjust to everything again, this of course didn't meant that Asami was going to be completely lenient with him, the boy would still need to learn his place again and Asami was also going to have to keep an extra special eye on him in order to make sure that he didn't try to escape again.

Takaba flinched when the limousine came to a sudden halt and Asami shut his cell phone, Takaba didn't have look out the limousine's window to know that they were back in front of Asami's pent house. Kirishima and Souh stepped out first, prepared to open the doors for the two of them. Souh took care of opening Asami's door while Kirishima took care of Takaba's, being extra careful with the boy as he helped him to get out but at the same keeping a firm grip on his hand to ensure the other didn't try to escape.

"Come." Asami ordered Takaba as he started heading towards t he entrance of building that lead up to his pent house, Takaba had learned the benefit of obeying a command when it was first given so he didn't hesitate in following Asami as he didn't wish to upset the other more then he guessed he already was.

The elevator ride was pure hell for Takaba who wasn't all that pleased with the fact that he had to stand so close to Asami while waiting for the elevator to reach it's destination. Takaba didn't even dare to turn to look Asami as he kept his eyes in front of himself staring at the elevator's closed doors.

When the elevator did come to a stop Takaba didn't hesitate when it came to stepping out first, not wishing to be near Asami anymore.

Asami forced Takaba to walk ahead of him as they approached his pent house, not giving the even a chance to think about running, Asami was now allowed to deal with things how he wanted since he had excused Kirishima and Souh before they got on the elevator, letting them know he could handle everything from that point on.

Takaba sidestepped as they stood at the door while Asami grabbed his key out in order to unlock it. Takaba stalled at the door for a few seconds, not really wanting to be forced inside of the pent house again, but he was forced to enter when Asami nudged him none too gentle from behind forcing him to have to step inside.

Once inside Takaba whipped around to face Asami when the other shut the door and locked it, making a point by looking at Takaba as he did this, the boy felt the instinctive need to back away from Asami but before he even got that far the other had already grabbed his hand again, Takaba flinched ever so slightly when Asami applied a little too much pressure to his wrist, but he refrained from attempting to pull away from the other.

Takaba felt his panic starting to rise up once again when Asami lead him towards his room, the room that Takaba been in for so many days before this point. Takaba didn't really want to be in the room but wasn't so worried about it when Asami let go of his hand left him standing in the middle of the room while he left, closing the door behind himself.

Asami could easily tell with the way that Takaba was acting that the boy was more then likely still in shock over everything that had happened, the only current problem with the boy being in shock had to do with the fact that it looked as though the other hadn't gotten any sleep recently. Heading into the kitchen Asami made his way to the medicine cabinet where he knew he still kept some sedatives, especially for situations like the current one.

Asami poured three pills into his hand without thinking all that much about it, knowing that the recommended dose was one but knew that it would take at leas twice that dose to get the boy to even feel like falling asleep.

Asami wasn't going to wait too long before he punished the boy, but for the time being the other needed some rest and Asami still had a lot to deal with at least until the next time that boy woke up. This time Asami was going to make sure that he explained things to Takaba so that he knew exactly what was going on and why Asami was keeping him.

Asami wasn't all that surprised when he reentered the room to not see the boy right away, he knew that it was only natural for Takaba to think about hiding in his current position-the boy obviously felt vulnerable and was more then likely worried about being hurt again.

Though there wasn't honestly that many places for Takaba to hide in at so the best the boy could do was curl himself into a tight ball in the back left corner of the room furthest away from the door. Asami was slow and careful as he approached the boy, knowing that it would be easy to startle, getting the pills down Takaba wasn't going to be all that easy and Asami already knew that more then likely he was going to end up having to force them down the other if he wanted to make sure that they were taken without any problems.

"Takaba." Asami didn't like the way that the boy flinched when he said this name, "Come here." Takaba immediately shook his head when Asami told him to do this. Asami stared at the boy while waiting to see if the other was going to change his mind though he was rather certain that that wasn't going to be happening whatsoever. Tsking slightly Asami popped the pills into his mouth so that both of his hands were free because he was certain that he was going to need both of them in order to restrain Takaba so that he could get the pills down the other's throat.

Asami knew that he was going to have move quickly when it came to restraining Takaba if he didn't want to give the other a chance to fight him, even when he did have a good hold of Takaba, Asami was certain that the other wasn't going to give up without a good fight.

Asami was rather slow at first when it came to approaching Takaba, kneeling when he was in reaching distance of the other and staying in that position for a good minute or two before making his move.

The moment that Takaba felt his wrists being grabbed his panicked and began struggling even harder then Asami had been expecting him to, the boy was fighting against as though his life depended on it, Asami was rather certain of the fact that Takaba didn't even really know what exactly it was he was doing.

Takaba couldn't use his hands with the way that Asami was pinning him but that didn't stop him from squirming his entire body and attempting to kick his legs out to make contact with whatever he could in order to get away from Asami. Takaba didn't know what it was that the other man wanted from him, but Takaba was more then certain that whatever it was it couldn't have been good.

Takaba's energy ran out quicker then he had expected it to and once the boy's fighting slowed down considerable it was easy for Asami to seal his lips and force his tongue and the pills into the boy's mouth. Takaba began squirming again when he felt the pills enter his mouth, more then likely because he didn't know what they were, but with the current way that Asami was pinning him he couldn't struggle that much.

Asami forced the pills to the back of Takaba's throat, forcing the boy to quickly swallow so that he didn't feel as though he was choking, once Asami was certain that the other had swallowed the pills he pulled away from Takaba's mouth, allowing for the other to regain his breath though Asami didn't get off from being on top of the other, knowing that he was going to have to keep the boy pinned for at least a few moments until the sedatives started to take affect.

Takaba was feeling too exhausted to fight against Asami anymore for the other had already gotten him to swallow whatever pills had been forced into his mouth so now it didn't really matter what Takaba did because Asami got what he wanted. Takaba did begin to panic a certain amount when he began to feel unbearable tired, so tried that it was rather difficult for him to keep his eyes open. Takaba tried his hardest to keep his eyes fixed on Asami even as they started to close. Takaba soon gave up the fight though and without much closed his eyes and allowed for his body to relax as he drifted out to sleep, even if it wasn't going to be a peaceful one for him.

Asami knew that he was going to have about twelve hours to get done what he needed to before Takaba was going to wake up again. Carefully picking up the other Asami moved him over towards the bed, noticing that the boy had lost a little weight while he was away. Asami was going to need to make sure that the boy ate food, but was already aware that that was a task easier said then done.

Setting gentle on the bed Asami pulled the covers up over the boy so he didn't get too cold. Asami really wanted to look over the other's injuries, but figured that it was something better to do when the other was awake so he didn't end up bothering the other by touching him while he was asleep. Asami was going to make sure that once the other was awake his injuries were treated, but before that he knew the other was also going to need to take a shower.

Asami had no intentions of leaving the boy for too long, there were just a few phone calls that he needed to take care of real quick, because of how busy he had been with searching for where Takaba had gone there were a few things that he had ended up putting off. Once he had taken care of those things he had figured that he would join the boy in getting some much-needed rest. Asami wasn't exhausted per say, but he knew that since he had gotten the boy back he was going to be more busy then before when it came to taking care of him.

Asami had fallen asleep rather quickly after getting done what he needed, despite his mind telling he shouldn't do it he wrapped himself around Takaba, not in a possessive way, but rather a protective one. He knew that the boy wouldn't approve of what he had done when he woke up, but Asami knew that it would help him to wake up if the other moved away from him for any reason that would signal he was awake.

Just as Asami thought it would, it did work, but what Asami wasn't expecting when he opened his eyes was to be face to face with his own gun while Takaba held onto it with very unsteady hands. Asami was honestly surprised to see that the boy had enough guts to have taken his gun out of his breast pocket.

Asami could tell by looking at the boy that the other hadn't cocked the gun yet, so at this point in time Asami didn't have to worry about being shot by his own gun. Since Takaba was already standing Asami guessed that the other had already tried the bedroom to find that it was locked, something else that Asami had taken care of before he had gone to sleep. Takaba couldn't leave the room without the key Asami had on him and this key wasn't something that Asami was going to even allow Takaba to see.

Asami was careful and slow as he sat up, noticing how Takaba flinched slightly and took a step back, hands still wrapped firmly around the gun. Asami had to admit that the boy had some guts for being able to feel as though he could point a gun at the older man.

"Takaba." Asami said the boy's name lightly, as he watched the flickering emotions that passed through the other's eyes.

"Don't say my name." Takaba told the other, his words faltering slightly as he kept the gun steadily pointed at Asami who was just observing him.

"What do you expect from me?" Asami questioned, he had a good idea of what the boy's motive was, but he wanted to hear the words directly from the other's mouth.

"I want you to let me go." Takaba replied, his eyes showing the determination he had for wanting to escape.

"We both know that that cannot happen though." Asami replied, watching the hurt expression that went across Takaba's face.

"Don't move." Takaba gritted out the words as Asami moved to the edge of the bed, Takaba wanted to keep as much distance between himself and Asami as possible.

"Do you know what would happen if you left here again right now?" Asami questioned, when the boy didn't say thing Asami continued speaking. "Feilong would more then likely know right away that you're away from here again and wouldn't hesitate to get his hands on you, this time though I doubt that he'd be willing to give you back to me. Do you really want to end up in a worse situation then you're already in? I haven't even touched you yet, but I can tell you for a fact that there are worse people then me out there. People who would pass you around from person to person, more then likely older man who would enjoy getting their hands on someone young like you, being able to do as they please with your body without you being able to stop. Others would be willing to sell you as a slave where you would be more then likely forced to work nonstop without making any kind of money, not to mention those who would use you in drug trading."

"You're willing to do the same though!" Takaba retorted, Takaba was definitely starting to become more unsettled with everything that Asami was saying. Asami didn't speak for quite a few seconds as he studied Takaba's face.

"No I'm not." Asami finally replied, watching the confusion that settled over the other's face when he said this. "Those documents aren't what you think they are." Asami further explained, stopping when he heard the gun cock. Asami shifted on the bed so that he was fully facing Takaba, daring the boy to fire the gun as they locked eyes.

"You're lying." Takaba stated, taking a step back, his resolving breaking some, as Asami did nothing more then stare at him while slowly standing up.

"You can choose not to believe me right now, but the longer that you stay here the more you'll find that I'm telling you the truth." Asami told the boy as he took slow steps towards the other. Making sure to be careful since he didn't want to make the boy feel cornered. "As long as you come to trust me and come to understand some things then nothing will happen. My rules are still the same as before." Asami stopped talking when he was mere fight away from Takaba, gun almost pressing against his chest. "You have nothing to fear from me at this point."

"And I'm supposed to fucking trust you after everything I saw?" Takaba questioned, his eyes averted, as he couldn't bring himself to look at Asami. "Do you think it's that easy to believe the words you tell me?"

"It's as easy to believe as long as you make it easy." Asami replied, grabbing the gun that was in Takaba's hand and gentle taking it from him. Takaba didn't object when Asami pulled him against his chest, the boy stiffened when this happened, but didn't attempt to move away for his was too confused as to what it was that he should be doing. "Right now though you need to be punished for thinking that you could leave."

**Radcat38: There is indeed a lot to the history between Feilong and Asami, something I intend to slowly start explaining soon…maybe. At this point in time Asami is the most harmless, if Feilong wasn't so messed up I'd think that it was safer to go with him, but Asami wins at this point in time, I like his style more anyway ^-^, third parties don't' even make it onto this list. At this point in time nothing horrible is going to be done to Aki, Asami understands that he needs time to recover from everything that is going on. **

**XXxRizYxXx: we might see at Asami coming to rescue him, but Takaba doesn't quite see it that way, not yet at least. **

**Lili974WOLF: I'm glad to know that you're still liking the story^^ I hope that I don't disappoint as it keeps going on.**

**Daemonkeiran: that it does, but things are kinda going to start getting better.**


	12. Chapter 12

Takaba stiffened immediately when Asami said this, when he went to pull away from Asami the other wrapped his arms around him and held him close, not very tightly but tight enough to be held in place.

"Shhh, I don't want to end up hurting you." Asami whispered into the other's ear, giving into the temptation to run his tongue along the outside of it, feeling as Takaba stiffened further when he did this.

Takaba didn't want to give into what Asami was doing to him, but feared something worse was going to happen if he resisted. So Takaba what he learned to do when Feilong was being rough with him, he shut his eyes and just dealt with what was going on.

Asami approved greatly when the boy relaxed again him; he didn't want the other to be too tense with what was going on. Asami pushed the boy away from him some and titled his chin up. Takaba opened his eyes up when Asami did this, the mixed emotions that were showing in the boy's eyes weren't something that Asami was pleased with.

Takaba took in a sharp intake of breath when Asami suddenly crashed their lips together in a heated kiss. Asami took advantage of Takaba's surprise to deepen the kiss and force his tongue into the other's mouth. Takaba tried to fight against the other's invasion, but Asami's tongue was too persistent so he ended up yielding to the other and letting him do as he pleased.

Asami broke the kiss when he knew that the other was in need of air, he smirked when he saw how flustered Takaba looked as he glared up at the older man.

"Obedience brings about good things." Asami told Takaba as he moved away from the boy.

Takaba didn't say anything as his eye followed Asami who was moving towards the bathroom.

"Are you coming on your own or not?" Asami questioned as he turned his head to look at Takaba who just stared at him. Takaba didn't really want to go with Asami, but was more then certain that even if he didn't want to come Asami was going to force him one way or another. Steeling himself Takaba made his way over to where Asami was standing, noticing the other smirking in approval, it wasn't like he was doing what Asami wanted because he wanted to.

Takaba allowed for Asami to usher him into the bathroom even though he didn't like the idea of the two of them being together in such a small space. Takaba felt even more trapped when Asami locked the bathroom door and then turned to face him. The boy took a step back as Asami continued to stare him.

"You should start undress." Asami told Takaba as he began to pull of his suit and start unbuttoning his dress shirt that was on underneath it. Takaba froze when Asami told him this, what Feilong had told him came back to him and that caused him to shiver, though he tried to refrain from doing so, so that Asami wouldn't notice his reaction.

"I would rather not if possible." Takaba told Asami, not looking the other directly in the eye when he said this.

"You need a bath after everything happened, even if you don't want to take a shower, you still need to undress so I can look at your injuries." Asami replied watching how uncomfortable Takaba looked with everything. Asami had already undressed all the way down to his boxers and now all he was waiting for was for Takaba to do the same thing. "Would you prefer for me to help you?" Asami questioned, more then anything trying to push the boy towards doing something. Takaba shook his head when Asami asked this question, he really didn't want the older man anywhere near him.

"No, I- I'll do it." Takaba finally replied, Takaba knew that there was no way out of the situation that he was in so it was better for him to just submit himself to whatever was going to go on, because the sooner he got it over with, the better that it would be for him.

Takaba didn't like the way that Asami watched his every move as he started to slowly pull his shirt up and over his head, he already had a good idea of how Asami was going to react to what he saw, and the last thing that he really wanted at this moment in time was for Asami to pity him, it would only cause the boy to feel worse then he already did. Asami hadn't said anything even after Takaba had fully taken his shirt off and had his back facing him while he started to do the same thing with his pants.

The sight wasn't pretty at all in Asami's eyes but instead of saying anything he just clenched his jaw as he watched the boy continue to undress himself. It was obvious that Feilong hadn't been gentle with him in any way.

Takaba stopped taking his clothes off when he was left with nothing but his boxers on, the same Asami. Since he was done he turned to face Asami once again, allowing the other's scrutinizing gaze to go over the entirety of his body. Asami began to approach the boy with slow and steady steps, stopping when he was standing almost directly in front of him. He slowly raised his hand to touch the other's face but stopped when he saw how Takaba flinched at this action, instead he passed by the boy and turned the shower.

"Your boxers need to go now too." Asami told Takaba, who let out a shaky breath when he said this, but did as Asami said nonetheless.

Asami turned around and carefully grabbed the boy's hand, making sure not to hurt his raw wrist in the process, he slowly lead the other into the shower, letting the boy's hand go once they were inside as he turned to close the shower curtain.

When Asami turned back around to face the boy, Takaba had already retreated into the farthest back corner of the shower, where the water struck the least, Asami didn't approach the boy at first, but rather went for the bar of soap. Underneath the bruises and dirt it was easy to see that the boy had a nice body, Asami just needed to take care of him.

"Come here." Asami ushered the boy towards him as he lathered his hands with the soap, Takaba just stared at Asami at first, not certain if he should listen to the other or not. Asami allowed the boy to take the time to make the decision himself before approaching the other, pleased when Takaba didn't flinch as he grabbed his arm and started soaping it up.

Asami knew that it must've been taking the other a great amount of will power not to pull away as Asami's hand started trailing past his arm and down to chest where some of the darker and nastier looking bruises were. Takaba however was doing nothing more then watching what Asami did, however Asami didn't like one bit the lethargic way the boy was acting. He liked how the boy acted before when he first got him. Asami could still see the spark of like that was in the boy, it was just much duller then it had originally been.

Once the boy was fully soaped up he actually moved to start washing himself off under the hot spray of water as Asami took care of washing his own body. The boy looked better now that the dirt was off his body but the bruises still looked horrible, a heavily displeasing sight to Asami.

Takaba was almost finished fully washing off when two arms wrapped around his waist that caused him to freeze.

"We aren't done quite yet." Asami told Takaba as he rested his head on the other's shoulder, liking they way the other's muscles flexed as he stiffened, Asami guessed by the way that Takaba was acting that he was more then likely expecting nothing else to happen after the shower. Takaba didn't say anything as he felt Asami begin to trail his tongue over his neck, the feeling was foreign to Takaba and it made him want to push Asami away from him, but he didn't even get that far when Asami linked their hands together.

Asami gentle nipped Takaba's neck, taking care to avoid any bruises that were in the area in order not to hurt them. Asami felt Takaba stiffen further with each and every action he did but that just spurred him on further in hopes of making Takaba relax with his touches. Asami's tongue trail stopped when he reached the boy's plus, running his tongue over it, he gentle pressed his teeth against it feeling how quickly it was moving under the skin.

Since Takaba wasn't attempting to squirm against him at this point in time he removed his left hand from the boy's and began trailing it up his arm with a feathery light touch that caused the boy to gentle shiver.

Asami was finding that the more he moved his tongue over the boy's skin, the more addicted to the boy's taste he was becoming, he did however take his time with each move he made over the boy's body, intent on making sure not to scare the other by his actions. Once Asami had felt that he had marked the other's neck enough he turned the boy to face him. It was obvious by looking Takaba's face he wasn't only confused but rather nervous about everything that was happening.

Asami took this time as he leaned down to capture the boy's lips in a kiss, the other wanted to pull away when their lips connect but managed to keep himself in place as Asami's tongue ran over his bottom lip, seeking entrance that he wasn't all that willing to give the other. Takaba felt Asami smirk against his lips before breaking the kiss. Asami was pleased by the small stubborn side the boy still had, it meant that Feilong hadn't completely broken him yet.

Takaba wasn't all that certain how much more of what Asami was doing he would be able to handle, while Asami touching him didn't hurt at all, they were foreign and strange to his senses and caused him to feel more then a little uncomfortable. Takaba couldn't deny the fact that Asami was being overly careful of his bruises, most of which still hurt quite a bit. The gentleness he was receiving was something else that was bothering him a great deal, because he didn't understand why Asami was being so gentle with him.

Asami really wanted to take the boy in his mouth, but knew at this point that that would be moving things a long a little too quickly. Takaba still needed some preparing because he still didn't really seem to under stand what exactly it was that Asami was doing to him.

"You need to relax some." Asami told Takaba, as he once again moved behind him, moving his hands to trail up and down the boy's sides and chest, once again being careful of the bruises that were there. Asami was becoming pleased over the fact that boy was starting to twitch more and more with each of his touches.

"Right, I'm supposed to relax when I'm having some pervert trying to molest me." Takaba retorted, his breathing hitching half way when Asami's hands brushed just slightly above his hips, sending a rather mixed signal to Asami.

I'm not molesting you, I'm pleasuring you." Asami replied back, allowing for his tongue to once again trail across the boy's neck as his hands made small circles going from the boy's sides down to his hips, eager to dip lower but not wanting to push things too far with the boy yet.

"I think that the only one who's getting anything good out of all of this would be you, I'm not feeling any of this pleasure that you claim to be giving me." Takaba replied back, regretting his words almost instantly when Asami's hands dropped a notch lower, the chuckle against his neck that rumbled out from the older man's chest didn't help matters either.

"It would seem then that I'm going to have to do some thing more for you." Asami replied, liking the way that Takaba froze when he said these words.

"You really don't need to do anything else for me, you can just leave the fuck alone." Takaba replied back, attempting to move back some when Asami's hand almost brushed against his member, this action didn't help matters much either because it just caused him to be more pressed up against the older man, which of course limited his moving space that much more.

"I can't leave you alone yet because we're not quite done with your punishment." Asami purred against Takaba's ear, giving it a gentle lick before dropping onto his knees, he pulled a gasp from Takaba when he allowed for his hands to traveling from the boy's chest down to his hips were he rested them firmly. Takaba really didn't want to move all that much but Asami managed to manipulate his legs so that the boy was once again facing him, except this time Asami's face only came up to the boy's hips, which of course meant that the boy's cock was in easy reach of his mouth. Asami could only guess boy how stiff the boy was that he hadn't had anything of this sort done to him before, that though of course pleased Asami to no end because it meant that he was the first one to give the boy a pleasure that he never had before.

"Grip the rail behind you." Asami told Takaba, who at first didn't move, more then likely not certain why Asami wanted him to do what he asked, but after a few seconds he felt the boy's body move back slightly and heard as his nails rubbed against the metal before gripping it. Takaba was going to need something to steady himself for what Asami was about to do.

Asami took note of the fact that the boy was rather small, which wasn't much of a problem to him because it just meant that he could easily take the boy in his mouth in one go. Asami of course didn't take the boy right away, but rather waited a short amount of time to study the boy before going down on him.

Takaba was in no way expecting what Asami did to him. The wet warmth that enveloped his member caused him to almost lose his balance as his hips involuntarily tried to buck forward in order to engulf himself further in the warmth. Takaba probably would've fallen if it weren't for the fact that he had a white knuckled grip in the bar behind him.

"Asami." The other's name came out of the boy's mouth in more of a moan that he wanted for it to. The sensation that Asami was causing to spread through his body was pleasurable on a rather high level even if it was foreign to him. Takaba wanted to move his hands to push the other's head away, but couldn't bring himself to do as he feared he'd lose his balance if he removed his hands from the only thing that was helping him to keep a tight hold on the reality instead of spiraling down into the plain of pleasure that Asami was trying to lead him into.

Asami enjoyed the look on the boy's face as he glanced up at the other through his bangs, the other was seeming thoroughly enjoy what it was that he was doing to him, more then Asami was honestly expecting him to.

Due to the boy's small size it was easy for Asami to bob his head up and down in a rather rhythmical way, not only this but grazing his teeth and flick his tongue across the slit was simple for him, but seemed to be almost too much for the boy to handle. Asami would've loved it if the other threaded his hand through his hair, but he was also aware of how weak the other must've been feeling, at least Asami presumed his was feeling weak by the way his legs trembled either from trying to stay standing for from the fact that he was trying not to buck up into Asami's mouth.

Asami could tell by the way Takaba's member was pulsating in his mouth that the other was getting rather close to cumming, wishing to see the other's pleasure filled face caused Asami to quicken the pace that he was moving at, he didn't miss the way that Takaba's back arched nor the way he threw his head back while trying stifle a noise that was a mix between a moan and a whine. Asami knew that the amount of pleasure that he was giving to the boy boarded on the side of possible being able to be considered torment since the other wasn't used to this kind of thing, and Asami was more then a little skilled when it came to giving other's pleasure when he wanted to.

Asami didn't hold back as he felt the other started to stiffen, the other's member was pulsating and hot in his mouth, Asami enjoyed the tight feeling in his mouth and even went so far as forcing the other further down his throat, knowing that his pleasure wasn't the only one that was increased by this action.

A choked sound escaped Takaba's mouth as his body erupted in an intense organism that had him seeing white as his mind blanked, the only thing that he could think about the intense pleasurable feeling his whole body was experiencing as he climaxed. When he finally did come off of his high his whole body felt drained and he knew for a fact that if he tried to even more a little bit he wasn't going to be able to go anywhere. His breathing was still uneven as he leaned his head back, not even caring about the fact that the water's spray was starting to turn icy cold as he shut his eyes, still feeling rather uncomfortable as Asami's mouth hadn't left his member yet.

Asami was pleased by the reaction that he had gotten from the other, it was even better then he had expected for it to be, Asami carefully cleaned off the boy, making sure not to be too rough with this mouth as he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to make the other hard again after what he had just dealt with, even if Asami didn't want to be done with the boy yet.

When he was finished with Takaba he stood up, becoming aware of the fact that the water was starting to become cold and that more then likely Takaba wasn't going to be able to get himself out of the shower without his legs collapsing on him.

"You enjoyed that more then I had expected you to." Asami commented as he carefully wrapped his arms around the other's face, not missing the light pink on the boy's cheeks, more then likely due to his comment.

"Shut up." Takaba replied back, not resisting as Asami began to lead him out of the shower, rather thankful that he didn't need to carry his own weight, "It's not like I was going to be able to stop you even if I had wanted to." Asami smirked as moved away from the boy once they were out of the shower. Asami could think of a bunch of different things that he wanted to say in response to the other's words, but decided for the time being he'd keep his mouth shut as he started to dry off the boy.

Takaba still wasn't all that comfortable around Asami, but at the current moment in time he was much too tired to fight the other as he toweled him off, rather enjoying the feeling of the other fluffing his hair with the towel.

Asami still had to help Takaba when it came to leading him out of bathroom and back into the bedroom where he had to get some clothes for the both of them. Takaba sat on the bed as Asami went through his draws, being careful as to what exactly it was that he picked out for the boy to wear. Takaba again didn't protest that much when Asami started dressing him, Takaba wouldn't deny the fact though that he felt very much so like a doll with the way that Asami was treating him, but the boy wouldn't complain, for the treatment that Asami was giving him was much better then the rough treatment that Feilong had given him.

Despite the fact that the sun was rather high in the sky, Asami had no intentions of getting up yet as it were. Certainly he and the boy had already taken showers but he was much too tired to think about doing anything else after doing what they had just done, and he was fairly certain that Takaba felt the same way that he did. Asami knew that he could get away with sleeping most of his day away considering that he had taken care of most of what needed to be done while Takaba was asleep and he knew that he could count of Kirishima taking care of anything that could possible come up.

Takaba most certainly wasn't expecting Asami to drag him back to bed, nor was he expecting to be forced to lay on the other's chest with the covers pulled over them. The position that the two of them were in currently was more psychologically uncomfortable for Takaba rather then being physically uncomfortable for him, but Takaba didn't say anything as he tried to adjust his position on Asami's chest.

Asami felt as the boy shifted around but didn't move his arms which were lightly draped over the other's back, Asami enjoyed the feeling of the other laying on top of him and just hoped that the boy wouldn't mind what they were doing.

Takaba found that it wasn't all that easy for him to get sleep even though it seemed like that was what Asami wanted the two of them to be doing, Takaba knew that a certain amount of this came from the fact that Takaba was still rather nervous over the whole punishment thing that Asami had mentioned. What Asami had done to him in the shower didn't seem like that much of a punishment, even though it was rather uncomfortable and embarrassing for him. A certain side of Takaba was worried over the fact that Asami might've just been waiting for him to fall asleep to do whatever it was he was planning and that was more then enough to stop Takaba from being able to fall asleep even though Asami's breathing had started to even out. Takaba stiffened some when Asami's arms tightened slightly more around his back, in a rather comforting way that caused Takaba to wonder if it was possible that Asami had sensed his distress.

"Nothing is going to happen to you." Asami assured in a sleep laced voice.

**Yaoigirl11: Sorry about that, lol, just wanted to take the time to think and make sure that this was really the way that I wanted things to be going before I continued on^^**

**XxxRizYxXx: more then likely not the kind of punishment that you were expecting ^^, **

**IRencakes: I should be thanking you to take the time to my read my story^^ Asami's intending to claim his prize and would like to do so rather quickly, but feels the need to take his time for his sweet Aki. **

**Otala: Glad you like were I'm taking the story^^ some of what's going on I hadn't even thought about until after I had started this story, I can assure you though that there are going to be quite a few more chapters after this to come^^ Asami intends to give the boy something to hold onto, he just feels the need to be firm with Takaba so the other doesn't push things too far, he wants Takaba to understand that he intends to take care of both sides of him. Before meeting Asami Takaba had already dealt with some pretty bad things, but all will be known latter in the story^^**

**A/N: And for anyone that is interested I'm doing a small story for Koi wo Suru, you can either go to my profile page and find it there or go to the misc Anime/Manga section and find it there. I felt the need to do something a little different for this New Year and I really do love Hiyama and Mizuno even if there hasn't been that much of a story for them^^ I thank everyone who's taking the time to come and read this story^^**


	13. Chapter 13

Takaba found himself once again not being able to get any sleep, his body was hurting everywhere and despite the fact that he was actually tired and felt as though he could sleep, he just couldn't.

It didn't help the boy any that Asami's arms were wrapped around him, not tightly, but enough to make it difficult for him to move from laying on top of the other without having to worry about waking Asami up. Takaba didn't like his current position but he knew that for the time being he was just going to have to deal with it until Asami woke up or he found a way to get off from being on top of the other.

Takaba shifted slightly so that his head was laying more over Asami's shoulder rather then directly on top of it, this position was more comfortable because it took some of the pressure away from his throbbing head.

Takaba stifled a small sigh that wanted to escape his mouth, after the incident in the shower he was even more confused then he was before. He didn't exactly like what it was that Asami did as it were, but his body reacted positively to it and it had felt good to him. Takaba however didn't like the mark that Asami had left on his neck, the other mightn't have been able to touch the place where Asami had bite him to directly feel the mark, his skin however was still throbbing from the bit, which was more then enough proof for Takaba to understand that the other hard marked him.

Takaba was honestly hoping that what had happened in the shower was the punishment that Asami was talking about and that Takaba wasn't going to have to deal with anything else, for he already knew for a fact that he wasn't going to be able to handle anything else similar to what Feilong had done to him. Takaba would rather beg Asami to let him go, then have to deal with being beaten by the only other person who was currently in his life.

Asami wasn't treating him bad so far, but Takaba now knew better then to allow his guard to be lowered around the other, after what Feilong did to him, Takaba knew that it was going to be quite a while before he'd be able to trust anyone else, of course that was with the exception of his two close friends, Kou and Takato. Takaba would've if it had been possible gone to them before Feilong, but he knew that the two of them were still on their class trip and that it would probably still be another day or two before they returned.

Takaba felt guilty when it came to thinking about his two friends, especially Takato, the other had warned him that he should be careful when it came to Feilong, because Takato didn't feel comfortable around Feilong, but of course Takaba hadn't listened to the other and ended up landing himself in a big mess of problems.

Takaba knew that had he just listened to what his friend had said he wouldn't be in this kind of trouble, but of course Takaba had though he could trust Feilong since the other had practically rescued him. Takaba felt the sting of tears against his eyes, he still hadn't cried even after everything that had happened. Instead of allowing the tears to fall Takaba bit his bottom lip in order to refrain from doing so, he wasn't going to allow himself to cry now. Much worse had happened to make him cry, but being betrayed by someone was something that he knew he shouldn't have been crying over. It was small compared to some things.

Takaba was still in a better position then most kids his age that got betrayed; at least he still had a roof over his head and a warm place to stay for the time being, Takaba was also certain that things would stay the same as they were currently for a while, that was of course as long as he didn't do anything that would end up upsetting Asami and make him think twice about keeping the boy.

Takaba shifted his position once again once his neck started hurting from being in his pervious lying position for too long. So this time he changed his position so that he was laying with his head resting against Asami's chest, the left side of his chest at that. Takaba found himself being strangely comforted by the sound of Asami's beating heart, it almost made him feel that it would be a very easy to start falling asleep.

Takaba hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep until he woke up in an empty bed, the covers were still over him but when he opened his eyes he didn't see Asami anywhere. Glancing over towards the window he saw that it was looking rather dark outside again, letting him know that it was more then likely heading towards evening and that he had ended up sleeping most of the day away.

Sitting up slowly Takaba glanced at the room's door, he knew for a fact that if Asami left the room there was a high chance that it was unlocked, Takaba also knew though that depending on what it was that Asami was doing he could've locked it again behind himself if he didn't the boy to leave the room yet. Takaba knew the only way that he was going to find the answer to his question would be to get up and test the door handle himself.

Carefully putting his on slippers on he slowly stood up, making sure not to hurt his injuries more then they already did as he made his way slowly over to the door, preparing himself for the fact that it would more then likely still be locked.

Takaba had just reached the door and was getting ready to test the door handle when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, which soon stopped and were replaced by the sound of something scrapping against the outside of the door. Takaba took a step back from the door having a good guess that the person who was on the other side of the door was more then likely Asami.

Takaba of course was right and as the door opened further Asami came into view, a tray in his arms with food, a glass of water, and two pills which looked to be painkillers. He gave Takaba raised eyebrow look as the boy stepped further away from the door, still not wishing to be too close to Asami after what had just a few hours ago.

"Were you thinking about trying to escape again so soon?" Asami questioned, glancing at the boy as he closed the door behind himself before making his way over to the nightstand in order to set the tray down.

"I wasn't thinking about escaping again." Takaba replied, seeming indignant over the fact that Asami would think that he'd already be trying to get away again, not that he could blame the other for thinking this.

"Then you wanted to know where I was at?" Asami then questioned as he set himself down at the bottom of the bed, watching the boy who was staring at him rather intently.

"That's correct." Takaba noted the way that Asami's eyes narrowed a small amount, almost as though he didn't believe what the boy had just told him. "I know better right now then to think that you'd even give me the chance to think about getting away again."

"You learn quick." Asami complimented causing Takaba to glare at him. "You should think about eating though if you want your pain to go away, I brought you some pain killers but you aren't going to be able to take them until you get something else on your stomach." Asami told Takaba who was glancing between him and the tray, seeming to be trying to decide if it would be safe enough to approach the bed in order to get close to the food or if Asami posed to much of a threat to think about doing that. "You can sit down to eat, it's not like I'm going to bite you just for being near me." Asami smirked at the look Takaba gave him before slowly approaching the bed. Asami knew that he needed to refrain from teasing the boy too much, knowing that what Takaba had just gone through had been rather traumatizing for him. Asami also knew that teasing the boy would more then likely force the other to try and fight back harder against him if he upset him enough, and Asami really did like the spark of fight that was in the boy, it was so different from the way that other who had been bought before him had acted, it was something that actually caused Asami to be excited, a feeling that he hadn't felt in quite a while.

"Are you trying to tell me that I don't have a reason to fear you?" Takaba questioned as he sat at the way top of the bed, carefully taking the tray off the nightstand while keeping a small eye on Asami who was watching everything he did carefully.

"If you keep acting the way that you currently are then you won't have anything to worry about with me, push your limits too much then you might have something to worry yourself about." Asami replied, watching as the other slowly started eating the food that had been placed in front of him.

"Just because I'm listening to you right now doesn't mean that I don't intend to find a way to get my freedom again." Takaba told Asami though he didn't look at the other as he continued eating. A comment was at the tip of Asami's tongue but he bit it back, knowing that it wasn't the best thing to say to the boy at the current moment in time.

"I might be more willing to think about giving you your freedom if you'd be more willing to answer a few of my questions." Asami's words caused Takaba to turn and pay full attention to him. "There are still a few things that I'd like to know about you." Asami explained causing Takaba to scoff at his words.

"And here I thought that you find out everything that you had wanted to about me by searching through my records."

"Takaba, even you know that there was nothing written down about your parents on those. I want to know what happened to them, and in return if you tell me truth fully about everything that happened, I may consider giving you back your friend, but I'll most certainly be more willing to tell you about your fate." When Asami finished speaking he looked over at Takaba who was still remaining quiet, in Asami's opinion the boy seemed to freeze over something that he said.

What Asami had just asked him about was something that Takaba had hoped the other wouldn't worry about, wouldn't think to ask him about since the records were completely blank, it really didn't have anything to do with Asami after all.

Takaba tried to take in a deep breath as he looked back down at the food in front of him, he suddenly didn't feel as though he was going to be able to eat anymore- pain killers be damned. Takaba knew that Asami was watching him as he put the tray back down on the nightstand, his hands shaking as he did this small task. Takaba took in two deep breaths before opening his mouth to speak to the other.

"That is something that I don't want to talk about." Takaba told Asami, his voice shaky as he swallowed thickly after finishing speaking.

Asami observed the boy as he considered if he should push the matter any further or if it would be better to leave the other alone. Asami doubted by the way that the boy was acting that his parents had abandoned him, for he was certain that if that was all that had happened Takaba would've told him right out, so Asami had to guess that something much worse had happened to the boy, probably something even worse then being betrayed by his parents.

Takaba tried to keep his breathing even and his eyes open, he wasn't about ready to allow flashbacks to start hitting him, it was hard enough for him to deal with those kind of issues when it came to him sleeping at night, so he didn't want to have to deal with the flash backs when he was wide awake.

Takaba had been so caught in the moment, just trying not to end up going into a panic attack, that he started greatly when Asami suddenly behind him, wrapping arms around his waist and pulling him. Takaba didn't really realize what was going at first and began struggle desperately to get away from the other. Asami of course would have none of this and was quick in rolling them over so that he was on top of Takaba so that the other couldn't squirm as much and so that Asami had a better vantage point of being able to pin his arms so he couldn't lash out as hard.

Takaba shut his eyes as he felt his whole body start shaking, right now he knew that there was nothing he could do to resist the older man, was he really that upset that he didn't want to tell him what had gone on with parents?

Asami wasn't pleased with how scared the boy was acting, his plan wasn't to instill more fear into the other, but rather to take away that fear, but it seemed he was only succeeding in doing the exact opposite and making Takaba's situation worse.

"What do you have to fear from me?" Asami questioned, whispering it into the boy's ear and causing the other to whimper though he didn't squirm.

"Everything." Came the choked out answer, the boy didn't even open his eyes to look at the other when he said this.

"I already told you, you don't have anything to fear from me right now."

"But the first fucking moment that I screw up, you'll either toss me to the side or sell me." Takaba was holding onto Asami rather desperately, clutching at his dress shirt while wrinkling it horrible. Asami would've have thought that the boy was almost want to believe Asami, to think that the man in front of him was someone that he could trust, but the heavy fear inside of everything that had just happened inside of him was making him think that it wasn't safe to trust the older man.

"I'm telling you right now that I intend to do nothing of the sort to you." Asami told Takaba, feeling as the boy pressed his face further into his dress shirt, his entire body starting to go totally limp against the other. Asami didn't say anything for the first few moments as he allowed for the boy to relax against him, the shaking subsiding some as the boy allowed himself to give into the comfort of the older man who was above him.

Asami was getting ready to speak when he began to feel wetness against his dress shirt, seconds after he felt this feeling, the boy's cracked voice reached his ears.

"My parents were killed, they were killed and it was all my fault." In-between the sobs Asami could barely make out the words that the boy said, but he could understand enough to piece together what it was that the boy had just said to him.

"Why is it your fault?" Asami questioned softly, feeling as the boy's body shook hard as he tried to control his tears, more then likely feeling vulnerable since he was starting to break down in front of the older man.

"Be-cause, they- they were- doing some-something special for- for me." Takaba's body shook harder as the tears started to flow more violently. Asami ran his hand through the boy's hair soothingly as rolled onto his side so that the boy could press himself further into him and so Asami could better wrap his arms around the other. "It- it was for my birth-birthday, they were ta-taking me some-someplace I wanted to g-go. Fa-father had tak-taken the day off wo-work for m-me . A sho-shooting took pl-place on the- the way there, our c-car was tar-targeted, mom da-dad, and m-me were shoot, they bo-both di-died, but-but I-I sur-survived even af-after being sho-shoot." Asami pulled the boy closer, allowing the boy to release his pent up sorrow.

Vague memories of the news story he saw on tv appeared in Asami's head, he remembered seeming something about a family being shot, but he thought the news story said that no one had survived that shooting.

"_Why is it that people do those kind of things?"_ the sound of the young voice rang in Asami's ears as the scene started playing back in his head. "_My brother told me only bad people do things like that, does that mean that my brother is also a bad person?"_

"It wasn't your fault that they were killed, it wasn't your fault." Asami told the boy who began shaking his head against the other's chest, a sign that he was denying the older man's words, at least things were starting to make more sense to Asami, especially the reason why Takaba didn't like sleeping at night, and the reason why he didn't list his parents names on anything that he needed to fill out. It also made sense about the injury the older man had seen on the left side of the boy's chest, a gun wound is what it had looked like to Asami and it seemed as though his thinking was correct.

Now that he had heard what he wanted to from the boy it meant that he still had his own story to tell.

Takaba wasn't all that certain why he had decided to tell Asami about what had happened to him and his parents, but he knew that it must've had something to do with the fact that he didn't have the horrible nightmares when he fell asleep. That was the first time in a while that they hadn't plagued him, even when he had been with Feilong, even with Kou and Takato they'd still bother him at night and make it almost impossible for him to get any sleep. This time when he had fallen asleep with Asami though they hadn't come to haunt him, he'd actually been able to get some real rest, something he hadn't had in quite a while, it made him start to wonder if maybe Asami could've been a savior for him, even if it was just for a little while.

**: Glad to know that you liked the last chapter^^ trying to put a lot of effort into keeping the story good^^ Thank you for also taking the time to update your wonderful works^^**

**Yaoigirl11: hee hee, well I'm trying to make Asami have a semi softer side in this story consider everything that Takaba has gone through, but at the same time I'm trying to make sure Asami stays as close to his normal self as possible. Takaba doesn't need more hurt right now. **

**Irish Sylark Moon: Thank you for the compliments, I'm trying my hardest to keep them in character while trying to write a good story for them. The plot is a little bit hard to keep up with, but I hope to make things continue to flow nicely till the end^^**

**Daemonkeiran: I figure that in this story Takaba needs that nice little touch a little sooner rather then later so Asami has a bit better of a chance of capturing his heart. **

**XxxRizYxXx: It took a bit longer then I expected to write this chapter, but here it is none the less^^ I'm trying to put a lot of effort into keeping the story flowing well while the characters remain in character, it's really a lot of fun to work on though^^ **


	14. Chapter 14

Asami didn't say anything as he lay there with Takaba, waiting for the boy to calm down, being a comforting person wasn't something that Asami was used to, and for the most part he was rather certain that he wasn't doing that much to help Takaba feel better and the other lay there crying into his shirt.

Asami hadn't really ever dealt with a lot of others in this kind of position that ended up crying on him, most of them just tended to bottle up their feelings and not ever show them until he wasn't around or they'd end up changing those feelings into anger and lash out at him until they understood that he wasn't there to hurt them. The way that Takaba was acting wasn't something that Asami was all that used to having to deal with, so since he really didn't know what to do about the whole situation he just lay there waiting for the other to stop crying.

Takaba could feel his tears as they started to slow down, almost coming to full a stop, of course they decided to stop after his head was already a miserable throbbing mess, and his eyes were red and hurting.

Despite the fact that he had stopped crying, except for the occasional sniffle here and there he wasn't all that ready to pull away from Asami yet, he found that the other's scent was rather comforting to him, for what reason he wasn't certain he just knew that he didn't want to leave the comfort yet. In a way Asami's scent was very familiar to him, as though he had smelled it somewhere before he had even met the older man, the familiarity of the smell helped Takaba to relax some and forget about his current position, about the fact that there was a chance that he could end up getting sold again, that there was a chance that Asami might also decided to abandon him.

Of course his comfort was short lived when Asami suddenly pulled away form him because his cell phone started ringing. Takaba lifted his head to look questioningly at Asami as he sat up, glancing at the boy as he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. Looking to see who was calling Asami looked at Takaba once more before holding up a finger and getting off the bed, seeming to intent on leaving the room to take this call. Of course Takaba wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of Asami taking a call without him being able to hear who he was talking with since he still had to worry about being sold by the older man.

Though Takaba was starting to have conflicting feelings about his concern, Asami was starting to ask more about him, seeming actually interested to know what happened to him before the two of the met. Takaba understood though that this also could have had something to do with the fact that Asami didn't want anyone coming to look for Takaba and end up getting him caught out if it turned out that he really was involved in human trafficking, but on the opposite side of that, Asami could really be starting to care for Takaba. Just because Asami was starting to take a larger interest in Takaba didn't exactly mean that it was a bad thing for the boy.

Takaba sighed as he rolled himself into his back and snuggled himself into the sheets; these weren't really the type of things that he needed to be thinking about with his head already aching as bad as it was. Takaba glanced at the door from his position under the sheets, he really wanted Asami to come back soon because the length of the phone call was starting to bother him, what if he was wrong about his thinking with Asami?

Asami finally did come back into the room a few moments later, this time though when Takaba looked at him he seemed a little more distant and composed then he had seemed when they were laying the bed together. The two of them started at each other for a short time before Asami turned away so that he could change his tear soaked shirt. Takaba watched the other through half lidded his as he considered how he should approach speaking to Asami. Before he even got the chance to say anything though Asami was already speaking.

"You still haven't eaten yet?" it took Takaba few seconds to respond to this question because coming out of Asami's mouth it sounded more like a statement.

"I'm not all that hungry." Takaba replied as he glanced over at the uneaten food, then back to Asami who was still staring at him.

"Well, you're going to eat something before we end up getting much further in all of this." Asami told Takaba who wasn't at all pleased to hear this. His stomach was still uneasy over what had just happened and he doubted that eating anything would help it to feel better. Takaba glanced over to Asami when he felt the weight on the bed. Asami was sitting at the bottom of the bed staring at Takaba with a very fixed look. "Either I can sit here and wait while you eat, or you can choose to eat later and I can get onto other things." The situation felt rather unfair to Takaba, he didn't really want to eat all that much, but if he wanted to find out more about what was going to happen to him with Asami then that meant that he was going to have to eat like it or not.

"I'll try to eat." Takaba finally conceded with a sigh, it was easy to tell that Asami was pleased with this response by the way that he nodded his head while watching the other sit up before shifting over to the nightstand and staring at the tray food. Takaba wouldn't deny the fact that the food looked good, that biggest problem for him was with the fact that he couldn't eat all that well under stress, and revisiting some emotions that he hadn't exposed for a while had ended up causing him a fair amount of stress. Dealing with Asami watching his every move wasn't helping all that much either, it made him feel rather self-conscious about what he was doing.

Takaba did manage to force himself to eat though, even if he had to do so rather slowly. Asami was rather patient with him though and just sat there watching him while he ate.

Once Takaba was finished eating he didn't feel at that much better, but he was able to take the painkillers and he knew for a fact that those would help his head.

"You worry about me selling you?" Asami's words caused Takaba to look over at him; Takaba wasn't all that certain what expression he was going to see on the other's face, the blank unreadable one that was currently on Asami's face wasn't exactly what Takaba was expecting to see. Rather then trying to find the words to respond to the others' question Takaba just nodded his head, beginning to feel rather wary of Asami again.

"Do you mostly worry about that because of what you saw in my office, or is it because of what Feilong did to you?" Takaba was starting to feel that uncomfortable knot in his stomach starting to tighten again.

"It's-…. It's partly because of that and a mixture of other things." Takaba finally replied, not longer being able to look at Asami. "I don't know if I can trust you, I don't really have anything to hold onto anymore" Takaba said the last part of his sentence in a rather low tone, though Asami was still able to hear what he said.

"Come with me then." Asami told Takaba as he stood up from the bottom of the bed. Takaba hesitated at first but then decided that it would be better to see whatever it was that Asami wanted to show him.

Takaba was rather slow in his way of following after Asami, feeling rather nervous as to what it was that the other was going to be showing to him. The silence between the two of them wasn't making things any easier for Takaba as he stared at the other's broad back as Asami walked ahead of him. Being out of Asami's room was actually causing Takaba to feel rather nervous, he wasn't exactly all that certain what was causing it but the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.

By the time that the two of the them had gone through the kitchen it was rather obvious to Takaba that Asami was leading him towards his office, unlike before Takaba felt rather wary of entering Asami's office, to the point that he actually stopped when they reached it. Him stopping caused Asami to glance back at him, just by looking at the boy Asami could tell that he was feeling wary about entering the office again. Asami didn't say anything as he stared at Takaba for a few seconds before entering his office to get whatever it was that he wanted to show the boy.

As soon as Asami entered the office Takaba's eyes darted over to the front door, he honestly knew that if he really wanted to there was more then likely nothing stopping him from being able to leave the condo, somehow though the thought of leaving caused a heavy chill to go down Takaba's back. So instead of focusing on the door any longer he pulled his eyes off of it and returned to looking at the Asami's office as he waited for the older man to once again appear, Takaba was really hoping that whatever it was that Asami was going to show him wasn't going to be anything particularly bad.

When Asami finally did come back out of his office he was holding a rather thick looking folder under his arm as he closed the door before turning to look at Takaba who was staring at him rather intently, curious to know what was going to happen next.

Rather then saying anything Asami motioned for Takaba to follow after him, of course the boy did so without questioning, still concerned over what it was that Asami was going to show him.

Asami lead Takaba back into the kitchen where he set the folder on the table before motioning Takaba to take a seat across from him as he also sat down before opening a folder and taking a stack of the papers from the inside out and setting them on the table.

Takaba watched intently as Asami spread the papers out before him, he couldn't see most of the papers very well as Asami set the down, but those which he could see looked rather familiar to him.

"What do you see here?" Asami questioned as he shifted the papers so that Takaba could get a better look at them, though the moment that Takaba was able to get a good look at them he instantly froze, for they were the same papers that he had been looking at in Asami's office the day that he had runaway.

"I see names and numbers." Takaba replied, being able to slightly regain himself under Asami's calm and observing gaze. Asami looked at the paper himself after that Takaba had said, as though making sure what the boy had said was correct.

"There are two names on this paper, what do you think they represent." Takaba stared back down at the papers in front of him, as though trying to find the right way to answer that question, his natural response was to say that the top name was the name of someone who was being sold while the bottom one was the name of the buyer, but if he was in correct he didn't want to end up upsetting Asami by saying such a thing.

"I'm guessing that something was sold between them." Takaba finally replied, glancing up at Asami to see the expression on the other's face, though it didn't help him much since it was still blank.

"And by saying that, I take it that you believe the number is the price?" Takaba nodded his head in response to what Asami was saying. "Does that mean that you think I'm the one who's responsible for these transactions?" Takaba tried his hardest to hold Asami's gaze as he thought over the other's question, Asami would've had to have been the one who was in charge of them since he was holding onto the papers, right?

"IT would only make sense to me that you're the one who's in charge of the deals considering you have the papers here." Takaba finally replied, turning his gaze away from Asami and back onto the papers, by saying what he said though, it was basically no different then calling Asami a human trafficker to his mind.

Asami was rather quiet as he studied the boy, not feeling very surprised by the way that the other was answering his questions though it was very obvious that he was attempting to weigh everything that he said very carefully. Asami's eyes went away from the boy to look down at the papers in front of him, human trafficking in his mind was a rather complicated thing, not something that should've been motioned so easily or that well known about, but the way that Takaba brought it up made Asami think that the boy was very familiar with the whole situation.

"Tell me Takaba," Asami started out his sentence slowly, making sure to grab the boy's attention before he continued speaking, he wanted to make sure that Takaba really understood what he was about to ask the boy. "Do you really understand what it means to be a human trafficker?" Takaba seemed rather surprised by this question.

"I don't quite think I know what it means to be one or what it means to be involved with it. I just understand the basic fact that it's something that tends to go on under the table, something that is illegal to be doing but those who do it don't tend to care about that. I also understand that most people who are put in those kind of positions aren't there because they want to be, but rather because others force them to be there, or they end up having to give themselves up to those type of places to make some more money." Asami seemed to be right with the fact that the boy knew a little more then he should've.

"Then you should also understand the fact that the system cracks down rather hard on the kind of people who are involved in that business, am I correct to believe that you understand that point clearly?" Takaba nodded his head, really seeming to understand what it was that Asami was saying to him.

"My father, he was a police officer, I'm a little better informed about these kind of things then other kids my age happen to be. Don't think that you have to tread softly around me just because I might not know as much about some things as you do." Asami actually smirked when Takaba gave him this bit of information, but it wasn't just because of this, it also had to do with the look that the boy was giving Asami when he said this.

"By that then you should also be able to easily understand that it would be stupid for me to leave proof of such deals going around, don't you agree? Don't you think that I'd be taking a heavy risk by leaving something so important and dangerous out in the open? Do you think that I'd be stupid enough to do such a thing?" Takaba seemed rather taken aback by what Asami was saying, for he hadn't really though of things like that before, the fact that Asami really could get himself into some serious trouble for leaving such things out in the open in his office. Takaba had just figured at the time that Asami felt it was safe to leave them there since he had a lock and key to the office, but that didn't stop someone from at any point in time in breaking into his office and checking them out.

"I hadn't really thought all that much about it." Takaba finally had to concede though he didn't seem at that pleased about having to admit such a thing.

"Then does that mean that you'd also believe me if I were to tell that you I actually havin nothing whatsoever to do with the business of human trafficking, or about the fact that you weren't actually sold to me like that?"

"Not sold to you?" Takaba questioned back, seeming rather confused about what Asami was saying. "I don't think I quite-" Takaba started to say before Asami cut him off.

"You were most certainly sold to me according to Feilong, but that wasn't the way that you were actually sold to me." Asami explained, seeming to only confuse Takaba even more with his words. "Rather I should say that you were given up to me because I paid a certain sum for you, even if Feilong though that he was just selling you to me, that wasn't exactly what was happening."

"Then what about these here?" Takaba questioned, seeming even more confused then before as he pointed down at the documents in front of him, seeming as though he wasn't quite willing to believe what exactly it was that Asami was telling to him.

"Those are people who've been sent to me because they're in the same kind of position as you. I'm the person who's there to help kids, who are in positions like yours, you could think of me more as a foster home or a counselor. That it is at least until another place is found for them. The papers in front as you will notice have quite a few same names as the person who's the buyer, that's because they're the different names of the places that the kids I end up with get taken to, I have to have verification that I've done what my job is to do, as far as the sum of money that it is written on the page, that sum of money if the money that I donate to the places these kids go to, in order to make sure that they're well taken care of." Takaba's mouth was gaping as he tried to take in the information that he was just told, not really seeming to believe what exactly it was that Asami was trying to tell him.

"Then that means I'm not really?" Takaba was trying to find the right words to finish his sentence but they weren't coming to him as he stared at Asami with wide eyes.

"That's correct, you don't technically belong to me as it were, as I told you before you still basically hold your own freedom though I'd prefer if you chose to stay here where it would be much easier for me to keep an eye on you. If you did end up deciding to leave, then that would just mean that you don't agree to my help and would prefer to handle your situation on your own. As long as you do intend on staying here though it would work in your best interest if you would allow for me to help you to adjust to thing again, in other words allowing me to help you get over everything that just happened so you'll be used to leaving the way that you have again, even if you chose not to go to a family." Everything that Asami was telling to Takaba helped him to understand his position better, it also took off the heavy bolder that felt as though it had been resting on his chest for quite some time, he knew that by the way that Asami was looking at him that the relief was evident on his face but he didn't really care all that much about that.

"Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?" Asami was expecting the hurt to take over with the boy, but not as soon as this.

"Because it would've been rather bad for me to tell you that right away, you'd have more then likely done what you did after what you saw in my office, you'd have left without giving staying here a chance and also when it would still be rather dangerous from you to be going out on your own without having to worry about Feilong." Asami replied, though his words didn't seem to sooth Takaba's anger any. "There is also a few other reason why I didn't tell you that right away."

"Reasons such as?" Takaba questioned as he put his arms over his chest, giving Asami a very pointed look as he waited for the other to reply to his question. Takaba at first didn't think that Asami was going to answer his questions as he started rooting through his papers again, as though he was in the middle of looking for something that was rather important.

"The biggest reason being that you're too much like him." Asami replied as he set down a document in front of the boy, a document that actually caused Takaba to reel when he looked at it.

"Feilong?" Takaba questioned as he looked at the clam and reserved boy that was staring at him in the picture.

**KyouyaxCloud: Asami will most certainly take care of him, kind of….**

**: Thank you so much for the good review^^ I have to say that that is somewhere around the amount of times that I read your stories over^^**

**xXxRizYxXx: I do agree it is said what happened to Aki's parents, but it's all a necessary part of the plot. **


	15. Chapter 15

"He looks young in that picture." Takaba commented once he had gotten over his initial shock of seeing a picture of a younger Feilong.

"That's because when this picture was taken he was only sixteen at the time." Takaba looked up at Asami shocked when the other told him this. "He was one of the first few kids that was given to me to take care of, he also happened to be one of my first failed cases." Asami explained as he shut the folder before Takaba started to go through it, Takaba frowned when he did this for he'd have really like the chance to go through and see what he didn't know about Feilong.

"What do you mean by "Failed Cases"?" Takaba questioned as he eyed the folder that Asami kept his opposite hand, this one Takaba guessed was even more important and less likely for him to get the chance to go through then the one that had Feilong's information in it.

"My job is rather simply as it were. I'm handed kids who've been put into bad situations through two different methods, the first method is where I'm set a kid from a orphanage that may have just arrived and seems to present with some psychological problems, problems that usually stem from abuse or pent up anger. The second method is done by going through the black market, quite a few of the kids sold there are either your age or younger, depending on the reason why they're being sold or how long they've been there for." Asami paused in his explanation as he allowed Takaba to absorb the information that he had been given. "Once I have someone in my care it's then my job to make sure that I can help them to get over whatever their problem is and prepare them to have a new life with another family or make it so that they feel like they can head out on their own. In Feilong's case it was my job to convince him that it was better to get him into an orphanage then to stay in the position that he was in." Asami didn't miss how intrigued Takaba was with everything that he was being told. It was easy to see that the boy had some questions that he wanted to ask about the matter but seemed to be hesitant in asking, as he didn't seem to know how to go about it.

"Were things so bad with Feilong's family that he had to be taken away from them?" Takaba finally managed to ask, seeming slightly uneasy with the way that he had asked the question.

"Feilong was being abused by his brother, the only family member that he had back then." Asami replied in a rather blunt way that surprised Takaba. "Of course Feilong had lost in parents when he was still fairly young and having only grown up with this brother he didn't really know how to handle the abuse he was going through but seemed to feel that it was proper to allow his brother to do what he wanted since the other was raising him. He didn't quite understand that what was going on was wrong." Takaba actually seemed faze with what Asami was saying, as though he could understand what it was that Feilong had gone through. "Getting Feilong away from his brother was rather difficult because he was so attached to the other that he didn't like to be away from his side for too long. Even after manage to get Feilong away from him and explain to him the situation that he was in, Feilong didn't care and wanted to stay with his brother no matter what happened. "I did somehow manage to get Feilong to stay away from his brother for a while, at least to give the other a small break and also to see how Feilong reacted when he wasn't around the other."

"Feilong was rather reserved wasn't he?" Takaba's question caused Asami to raise any eye brow, "Now knowing what it was that he had gone though it kinda makes more sense, even when he was around me he'd sometimes act rather distant even when he was trying not to. He always kinda acted like there was something haunting." When Takaba looked over at Asami the look on the other's face was so unreadable that it caused Takaba to shut his mouth, afraid that he might've been saying something that was causing the other to become upset.

"I only had Feilong here for a total of two months before he suddenly left without any warning. After the first two weeks of him being here it seemed as though I might have been making some progress with him, at least in getting him used to being away from his brother while things were sorted out without him knowing about them. Of course had I been paying a bit more attention I'd have come to notice the fact that Feilong was a little more mentally unstable then I had first thought he was, had I been paying better attention to him what happened after he left here probably wouldn't have happened because I'd have dealt with him differently, not the way that I thought I needed to handle him." by the long pause Asami was taking in speaking Takaba guessed that he wasn't planning on telling him what happened with Feilong after he had left.

With the way that Feilong acted towards Takaba, the boy wouldn't have guessed that there was anything wrong with Feilong mentally, because towards Takaba Feilong had always been so nice and caring towards him, taking in account everything that he said in order not to upset Takaba and always getting him things and taking him to nice places without him even asking. Of course Takaba always did nice things in return for what Feilong did for him, but they never had the same value in Takaba's mind as what Feilong was doing for him.

"How many cases did you deal with after him?" Takaba questioned, though afterwards he realized that it was probably not his place to ask such a question to the other."

"He was the tenth one I had to deal with, you'd make my twentieth." Asami replied, the answer was honestly more surprising then Takaba had expected it to be, to think that Asami had the courage to continue dealing with others like Feilong even after what had happened.

"So you're not a bad person then are you?" Takaba actually managed to look Asami in the eyes when he asked this question, but almost wished he hadn't when complete silence met his question, causing him to feel once again very uncomfortable under the heavy gaze of the older man.

"One valuable thing you should learn right now is to never judge a person straight across the board, you'll should be quick in understanding that no person is fully good or bad." Asami replied as he stood up, taking the folders with him as Takaba watched him head back towards his office. Takaba got his answer from what Asami had just told him, more then likely Asami wasn't purely just even if he did help others in need, but did that mean that Asami would still deal with human trafficking despite what he did? Takaba was quick to shake this question out of his head when Asami came back into the room.

"What now?" Takaba questioned when Asami stopped just to stare at him.

"Can I trust you enough now that I've explained your situation?" Asami question took Takaba aback, he was certain that it was going to be quite a while before the other thought about trusting him, at least when it came to freedom which is what Takaba was certain Asami was questioning him about.

"I think I understand you and the situation a bit better, but that doesn't mean I won't hesitate to leave if you do something that I don't like." Takaba replied, slowly standing up from the table when Asami made no move towards him.

"That would depend on what it is that bothers you, I won't guarantee that you won't have to put up with anything that you don't like." Asami replied, a slight smirk on his lips as he stared at the boy who could see the light tint of lust in his eyes, or at least Asami guessed that he saw it by the way that the other was looking at him. "But if you can behave yourself for the time being I'll consider allow you out of the room while I'm around, when I'm gone Kirishima will of course be in charge of keeping an eye on you and then you'll have more restrictions then when I'm here."

"I'm more likely to get in less trouble when you're not here." Takaba mumbled the comment more to himself but guessed that Asami must've heard him by the way that his eyes light up with amusement.

"Oh and why would that be, do you really enjoy the thought of getting punished by me when I'm here?" Takaba's face light up with this question, obviously greatly flustered with Asami's assuming question.

"It's not because of anything like that, you perverted bastard! I just feel more comfortable and less stuffy around him." Takaba quickly defended himself, though he knew that he must've seemed rather ridiculous to Asami with the way that he was acting.

"I suppose that I can accept that response for now as long as you understand that you won't be let off the hook any easier if you do something you shouldn't while Kirishima is in charge of watching you." Takaba tsked when Asami told him this. There was heavy silence after Asami made this comment for Takaba wasn't really all that certain what there was to say to the other who was just staying at him again as though waiting for something. After a short while longer Asami seemed to think that it was safe for him to leave, and that was when Takaba realized that there was something that he wanted to ask the other.

"Then I'm safe to make dinner?" Takaba's question caused Asami to glance back at him.

"AS long as you don't intend to try and leave in the middle of making it." Asami replied back, leaving the room without waiting for the other's response to his words. Takaba huffed as he glared at the direction that the older man had disappeared in, as if he'd leave before the meal was finished, that would just be allowing good food to go to waste. Takaba just had to hope that he'd be able to remember where exactly everything was since Kirishima wasn't there to help him this time and there was no way that he was going to feel comfortable enough to ask Asami to help him around the kitchen, even though he was certain that the other would be willing to do so without a problem.

Asami released a soft sigh once he was back in his office and had put the folders up, he was certain that Takaba would behave himself at least for a few moments while he tried to get the report that he had to make done before it was overdue. The report was on Takaba and of course since the boy had suddenly disappeared before he had a chance to make it, he couldn't submit it properly until the other was back in his custody.

Just as Asami was getting ready to sit down at his desk his cell phone suddenly started ringing, he wasn't expecting any calls today for he thought that he had taken care of all them the day before. Asami glanced at the call ID once before pressing the talk button and putting the phone up to his ear.

"Why're you calling today, I thought that you said it was going to be a while longer?" Asami sat down at his desk

"I understand that you need some more time with him in order to make sure that everything works out well, but from my understanding he isn't as bad as some of them, isn't that correct."

"So far he doesn't seem in as bad a condition as some of the other's before him, though he did just undergo something rather stressful as you know so until I can ascertain how it affected him I intend to keep him a while longer." Asami replied as he reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette and light it up.

"Just remember that the are many others besides him that are also going to need your help." Asami paused a few seconds after being told this before speaking again.

"And why exactly is it that you choose this time to tell me such a thing." Asami questioned as he opened up his laptop and turned it on.

"Because I'm finding that it would seem you are getting yourself rather attached to this boy and you of course that in this line of work that that kind of thing isn't allowed. No special attachments."

"Of course I still remember that agreement, I don't intend to get more attached to him then I need to." Asami replied, hearing the sigh from the other on the opposite end of the phone.

"I'll give you a few more days with him, but by the end of a one weeks time I expect you to have done something with him." Asami inhaled deeply before releasing the smoke.

"Of course I'll make sure to have the whole situation handled by that time." Asami replied, snapping his cell phone shut before the other had a chance to speak again. Asami stared at the computer screen for a few seconds, knowing that he still had to take care of the report even though he didn't really feel up to handle the annoying thing with it already being so late at night. Taking one more inhale from his cigarette he pulled it out of his mouth and put it out before focusing on the hard task ahead of him.

Takaba felt rather pleased with himself as he looked at the spread he had managed to set out on the table. Finding certain things had been rather difficult for him, but he had somehow managed to get through making everything without having to bother Asami who seemed rather busy in his office.

The meal was a rather simply one but it was well done so it seemed like there was a lot to eat, now though with it all being set out on the table the only thing left for Takaba to take care of was to let Asami know that dinner was ready for him whenever. The only problem with matter was that Takaba didn't know how safe it was for him to bother Asami in his office and if doing so would upset the other if he were doing something really important.

Takaba stared at the food on the table for a short while longer before glancing in the direction of the other's office, it wasn't really going to bother the other if he just let him know that dinner was ready, right?

Takaba's biggest hesitation with the whole matter was what ended up happening the other time that he had gotten ready to bother Asami when he was busy in his office, he didn't want something like that to happen again, but at the same time he didn't want the food to get cold before Asami had a chance to eat it. Takaba frowned as he tired to think of the best way he could handle the matter without wasting too much time and bothering Asami in his process of thinking.

Of course Takaba didn't end up spending too much time thinking when a good idea suddenly struck him, his cell phone should've still been somewhere in the house and if he could find that he was certain that he could get away with texting Asami if he could pick up the other's signal.

The first place that Takaba knew to check was the bedroom where it had last been left, for he was certain that Asami had more then likely not moved it from its place after he had left. Takaba had to hunt for a short while but he did finally manage to get a hold of his cell phone, smiling to himself in pleasure he proceed to sit down on the bed and figure out how it was that he was going to manage to contact Asami with his cell phone. His question was soon answered though when he came across a phone number he didn't recognize in his contact list.

Takaba knew he was taking a risk by guessing that it belonged to Asami as he selected it and got ready to text the other, but he wouldn't know if the number belonged to Asami unless he did text the other. It didn't take Takaba very long to send a short text that dinner was ready before he head back down stairs to the kitchen, that way he'd be ready if it was indeed Asami he was texting.

The number he text did seem to belong to Asami because it wasn't that long after he had sent the text and was back in the kitchen that Asami came out of his office.

"You were safe to come up to the door and let me know that dinner was ready that way." Asami told Takaba as he looked at the food that had been placed on the table.

"I just didn't want to end up bothering you." Takaba replied as he took his seat the table, at the exact opposite end of where Asami placed himself.

up until towards the end the meal was eaten in relative silence, though Asami had told Takaba the food tasted good Takaba guessed that it must've been okay since Asami was eating it without any problems, or at least he seemed to be eating it without any problems.

"I meant to give these back to you earlier." Asami told Takaba as he set a white manila envelope down on the table in front of Takaba who just looked at it for a few seconds before picking it up to see what was in side of what.

What was inside of the envelop was something that Takaba had been suspecting that he wouldn't get the chance to see again after Asami had taken it. Inside the envelop where all of the pictures that he had taken on the small camera that Asami had taken away from him.

"Why're you giving these back to me? "Takaba questioned as he looked up from the envelope to stare Asami.

"Since they are yours why wouldn't I give them back you?" the response wasn't exactly what Takaba was expecting but he didn't make any comment as he was more interested in going through all of the pictures to see how they turned out, though there were quite a few of them that he didn't really want to look at for the time being.

"You seemed to be rather fond of him." Asami commented as he watched the boy being very careful as he went through all of the pictures carefully.

"That's because he really did try to do a good job of taking care of me." Takaba replied as he stopped to look at a picture of himself standing next to Feilong in a park, by the angel that the picture had been taken at it he guessed that Kou must've been the one to take it for him.

As Asami watched the boy start putting the pictures back inside the envelope while smiling softly to himself, the older man began to feel something stir inside of him again, something that he knew he was going to need to push back down since it wouldn't be long before Takaba was going to be leaving, there was no way that he could allow for himself to get attached to the boy.


	16. Chapter 16

After dinner was finished Takaba wanted to take care of the dishes but Asami wouldn't allow him to, instead the older man ushered him towards the bedroom.

"But the dishes…" Takaba tried to protest, but Asami would hear none of it.

"I can take care of the dishes myself, right now you still need to get some more rest after what just happened." Asami replied as he softly placed his hands on the boy's shoulders in order to keep him moving towards the bedroom even though the other wanted to turn around.

Once inside of the room Asami did let go of Takaba so that the boy could turn and face him. Takaba was quick to take a step back when Asami suddenly approached him, uncertain of the other's intentions.

Takaba flinched but didn't move away when Asami brought their lips together, the kiss wasn't all that rough, but more of a gentle one where Asami didn't force his way into Takaba's mouth, but seemed rather content just to have theirs lips connected. Takaba shut his eyes when the kissed went on longer then he felt comfortable with, Asami seemed to be enjoying himself a rather large amount not seeming all that aware of the fact that Takaba wished for him to pull away already.

When Asami finally did pull away from him, Takaba was totally out of breath and felt rather dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Takaba's eyes were only half open when he looked at Asami, but the moment that there eyes connected Takaba wished that he hadn't looked at the older man, because the lust that was visible in the older man's eyes made him feel almost scared.

Asami seemed to notice the change in the boy's behavior because he stepped away from the other, his eyes never leaving the boy's as he did.

"Wha-" Takaba started but shut his mouth before he finished the question, breaking eye contact with Asami at the same time as he looked to the side o the other. Asami refrained from smirking when noticed the light blush that was covering the other's face, Asami was starting to feel that boy was much too self-conscious for his own good.

"You're safe to go to sleep when you like." Asami told Takaba as he turned away from the boy.

"Aren't you going to be going to sleep now too?" Takaba questioned, causing Asami to smirk as he glanced back at the boy.

"There were a few things that I was intending to take care of first, but if you'd feel better I don't mind coming to bed with you now."

"I don't need you to come to sleep with me, I was just asking." Takaba replied seeming rather flustered as he turned away from Asami and made his way towards the bed.

"I'll be working in my office then, text me if you need anything." Takaba just watched Asami as he left the room and shut the door behind himself.

Takaba sighed and shook his head once Asami was out of the room. Takaba was starting to feel confused by the way that Asami was treating him causing him to be uncertain how he should handle the older man.

It did help Takaba some to know that he didn't have to worry about being Asami's personal belonging anymore and that he technically had the freedom to leave when he wanted to even though he knew Asami wouldn't have like for him to leave, more then anything it was just nice to know that he wasn't being held captive.

Takaba didn't mind being with Asami as much since he know had this knowledge, what he did mind however were the advances that Asami was making on him. Takaba didn't know if he should take Asami seriously or not considering the older man seemed to like to tease him a lot. Takaba was inclined to believe that Asami was doing nothing more then messing with him, but ever time that he looked into the other's eyes they told a very different story, Takaba knew for a fact that lust that he was seeing in them wasn't being faked. Takaba shivered as he got ready to lie down on the bed, the image of Asami's eyes had appeared inside his head and for some reason he just couldn't get rid of it, shutting his eyes only caused the image to become that much more vivid.

Rolling onto his side Takaba stared at the wall, Asami may have had feelings for him, but how did he feel toward the older man, did he have any feelings for him? Takaba had never really been in any kind of relationship before, Kou and Takato used to tease him about that because he never really showed much interest in woman, but at the same time he never ogled men either. Takaba was just the type who wasn't all that interested in getting himself involved in any kind of relationship thus he never showed much interest in either men or women, or at least not past the friends stage.

With Asami though it was a rather

Different matter, he didn't really think of the older man as a friend, but at the same time he definitely felt something for the other. Takaba didn't know though if what he was feeling had to do with the fact that Asami had rescued him not that long ago and so far seemed the only person who hadn't hurt him besides his two friends, so were those feelings he felt just of strong gratitude or something more? Takaba groaned as he covered his head with the sheets, things were starting to become too confusion for him to think about them anymore, for the time being he just needed to set everything to the side and get some good sleep, night time wasn't the best time for him to be thinking about these kind of things, especially since they revolved around Asami.

Asami managed to get the report done in record time since he didn't have to worry about the boy anymore since he had gone to sleep, or at least on his way towards sleep. Asami shut the lid of his laptop after he had finished sending the report thus having no further need for it.

Asami was starting to think that week mightn't have been enough time to work with Takaba, or at least not for his comfort that was.

Takaba seemed to be responding better after what he had been told, or at least he seemed less uncomfortable around Asami. Asami could still easily see the damage that Feilong had done to him though; Takaba was just doing a very good job of covering the damage up.

Asami knew for a fact though that given a choice of freedom unless he was forced or felt too uncomfortable with everything that was going on he probably wouldn't leave the pent house, or at least not for a while to come.

If Asami really was going to have to get Takaba out within a week then he was going to have tried rather hard to get the boy used to being out and about again. How he was going to be able to do it Asami wasn't all that certain, he didn't think that it would go all that well if he suddenly started asking Takaba about all the different things that he was into. Asami could brush off what he was doing as being part of his job to get to know the other better, but he knew that more then likely Takaba would be uncomfortable with those kinds of questions.

Asami also had the option of bothering Takaba's friends to help with this sort of thing, but at the same time he didn't know if it would be safe to allow the boy near his friends incase the other had any scars there either. Takaba need as little stress as possible at this point if Asami wanted him to stay in a calm state of mind.

The only thing that Asami could think of to do in order to handle this issue was to take Takaba out himself and see what it was that the boy wanted to do, and the best way that Asami could think of to handle this situation was to take the boy out to dinner and talk to him that way.

Asami was just going to have to find away to convince the boy to go with him without making the other feel uncomfortable.

After finishing up the dishes and making sure that everything else was taken care of he made his way to the bedroom, not being all that surprised to find that Takaba was already asleep curled up in the sheets with only the top of his head being visible. Asami let a light smile grace his lips as he sat down on the side of the bed near the boy. Takaba was more charming then he realized. Which of course was a problem for both of them because the charming side of Takaba was what caused Asami to be drawn to him, but Asami knew for a fact that he wasn't the only one who was so drawn to that charming innocence, he knew that there were many others besides him that would go after Takaba because of it thinking that they'd easily be able to take advantage of the boy. These were the kind of thoughts that caused that slight amount of protective anger inside of Asami to rise; Asami didn't like to think of those who'd take advantage of someone like Takaba just because he wasn't quick enough to catch what they were doing, or because he realized what was going on too late to do anything about it.

A small whine coming from Takaba brought Asami away from his thoughts to turn his attention to the boy. Asami watched as the boy shifted some under the covers another almost inaudible noise escaped his mouth when his foot shifted out some. The way Takaba was moving under the covers caused them to be pulled down so that his face was more visible to Asami, when Asami saw the other's face he noticed how his brow was furrowed and his face was drawn into a slight frown. Asami had seen other kids going through this same kind of phase and if he had to guess he was having a nightmare, Asami was presuming by the way that Takaba was acting that the nightmare he was having had nothing to do with what happened with family, but something else, something else that maybe Takaba hadn't told Asami about.

It wasn't for much longer that Asami watched Takaba acting uncomfortable before he placed a hand on the other's head, gentle running it through the boy's hair in order to help sooth him, at first Asami didn't much of a response from the other as the boy continued to make small noises while shifting under the sheets, but after a short amount of time Takaba finally seemed to calm down. even after this had happened Asami still sat there running his hand gentle through the boy's hair before deciding that he needed to get up and also get ready to go to sleep. It was much later then he had anticipated and tomorrow working was going to be going back to normal which meant that Kirishima was going to be in charge of keeping an eye on Takaba until he got back, he just hoped that the boy wasn't going to change his mind about leaving while he was gone.

Despite it being cold Takaba didn't really like the feeling of the warmth that was wrapped around him, it was much to suffocating for his taste. At first though Takaba was a bit too tired to think about moving so at first he just lay there, feeling the heat wrapped around him, not seeming as though it was planning on moving any time soon.

Takaba wasn't able to handle the heat for much longer before he opened his eyes, the sight of Asami's arms wrapped around him wasn't all that surprising as much as it was uncomfortable due to how warm the other was making him. Takaba stared at the arms for a short amount of time as he tried to figure out how exactly it was that he was going to be able to untangle himself from Asami without waking him up. It was one thing when he was lying on top of the other and could slid if he wanted to, but this was another thing since Asami's whole body was almost pressed against him making move almost completely impossible.

Takaba gnawed on his bottom lip a bit as he tried to think of the best way to untangle himself without waking Asami up, though anyway aside from waking Asami up was feeling pretty impossible. Takaba wouldn't have minded lay there with the older man for a while longer if it wasn't for the fact that he was feeling so uncomfortable warm, and he knew that if he lay there for much longer, he was going to start sweating.

Just when Takaba didn't think that he was going to be able to handle laying there fur much longer Asami's arms suddenly tightened around him causing Takaba to have to stifle a surprised gasp that wanted to ask his mouth, he shut his eyes when the other released a rather warm breath of air against the back of his neck. Takaba stayed very still at first not completely all that certain if Asami was awake or not, but afraid that if the other was just moving through lighter sleeping phase that if he moved the slightest amount that it might fully wake the other up. Takaba didn't mind fussing a slight amount though when he felt Asami start nuzzling his hair with this face, a high sign the other was more then likely awake by what he was doing.

"Morning Takaba." The way Asami said his name caused a strange feeling to go through his body, a feeling that caused him to become uncomfortable.

"Let go." Takaba told Asami as he tried to squirm away from the other now that he was fully awake.

"What you don't like snuggling?" Asami questioned, a slight teasing tone to his voice as he pulled the boy closer his body, making it rather hard for Takaba to squirm away from him.

"It's too warm to snuggle." Takaba complained, freezing almost completely when he felt something rather warm and wet slide across the back of his neck, it took Takaba mere seconds to figure out what exactly it was that he felt against the back of his neck. "Asami stop that." Takaba fussed, not really liking the feeling of the other's tongue against the back of his neck.

"Stop what?" Asami questioned as he repeated the same action as before, enjoying the taste of Takaba and not quite feeling as though he was getting enough of it, but knew he'd have to stop teasing the boy soon since the other was starting to get uncomfortable with what was going on. Takaba was about to protest again since Asami didn't seem to be taking him all that seriously when he said that he wanted the other to stop but before he got that far Asami started speaking again. "I stop what I'm doing under one condition." Asami told Takaba who seemed rather wary over the whole condition thing.

"And what condition would that be?" Takaba asked as he stopped himself from squirming since Asami was now leaving him alone.

"If you think about going out for dinner with me I'll leave you alone." Asami felt the way that Takaba stiffened the moment that he finished speaking, the words he said were more then likely sinking. "It won't be a fancy dinner or anything of the sort, just think of it as a rehabilitation dinner, something to help you get used to being out and about again." Takaba didn't say anything at first but Asami didn't miss the way he exhaled a shaky breath.

"I'll think about." Takaba replied, though he didn't really seem all that in favor of the idea.

"Good." Asami replied, kissing Takaba once more on the back of neck before pulling away. Takaba watched Asami got out of bed and made his way towards the bathroom, could he really handle going out and having dinner with the older man?


	17. Chapter 17

Even after Asami had left Takaba was still feeling overly jumpy, even Kirishima seemed to notice the behavior change and thus was more careful around the boy.

Even though Takaba agreed to think about having dinner with Asami he didn't think that he'd really be able to go through with the whole thing, for two big reasons. The first one being that he still didn't feel comfortable stepping a foot outside of the pent house even with Asami with him, especially since he knew that he more then likely still had to worry about Feilong being around, the second reason was because going out to have dinner with the older man felt way too intimate to Takaba. Sure Takaba and Feilong used to go out and eat dinner together when Feilong had the free time and wanted to treat Takaba to something special, but the dinners that the two of them had together were just casual, because Takaba knew that there was nothing going on between the two of them. The problem with Asami was Takaba wasn't certain if there was or wasn't anything going on between him and the older man, he knew for a fact that the dinner he'd be having with Asami wasn't going to be something that was casual, he knew it was going to end up being something much more then that.

Takaba wanted to do something to keep his mind off of what his reply to Asami was going to be when the older man got back but Kirishima was refusing to allow him to do any work whatsoever, saying that Asami ordered him to make sure that Takaba did nothing more then resting while he was gone. Takaba groaned when Kirishima told him this, because he knew for a fact that even if he begged the glasses wearing guard wouldn't relent from what he had been told. Takaba wasn't even able to make dinner, because him and Asami were more then likely going to be going out to eat once the older man got back, whenever that would be.

"Takaba-san." Kirishima started, causing the boy to jump from his place on the loveseat in the living him where he sat with his hands folded on his lap, as he did nothing more then stare at the clock that was in front of him. "Does the though of having dinner with Asami-sama bother you that much?" Kirishima questioned as he came to stand in front of the boy who was looking at him though he couldn't make full eye contact with the guard as he tried to think of the best way to answer the question that he was just asked.

"It feels strange- like it's something that I shouldn't be agreeing to do." Takaba replied after some careful thinking. "It feels much to intimate for a guest and care taker kind of relationship."

"Understand that Asami is doing nothing more then he has to in order to get you used to being able to go back to how you used to live." Kirishima explained to the boy as he sat down in the recliner opposite of him. "Asami is just trying to do what he feels is best for you.'

"I don't even know how he can what he thinks is best for me when I don't even know what's best for me anymore." Takaba mumbled as he put his hands over his face. Kirishima studied the boy as he tried to figure out what would be best to say next.

"Do you have feelings for the boss?" Kirishima's blunt question caused the boy to look at him in shock as his face turned a bright shade of red.

"It's nothing like that!" Takaba quickly denied waving his hands in front of himself in a defensive manner, Takaba was quiet for a few moments as he stared down at his lap, "Or… at least I don't think I feel anything for him." Takaba relented, knowing that down right saying that he didn't feel anything for the older man would be a lie, because whenever Asami was around him he did feel something, he just wasn't certain that he was falling for the older man.

"It's nothing something that you should be that worried about." Kirishima assured Takaba who looked at him in a way that said he wasn't certain he could believe what the guard was telling him. "Since Asami just rescued you, it's normal for you to be confused about he you feel for him, gratitude can easily be confused as feelings of love and vice versa. What I would tell you to do as this point in time is take what you feel for the boss and analyze it careful before deciding what the final outcome is." Takaba just nodded his head as he took in what Kirishima had just told him. Since it didn't seem as though the boy was going to say anything else Kirishima stood up and got ready to leave the boy once again in order to continue his work tidying up the house.

"Thank you." Takaba told the guard just as he got ready to leave the room. Kirishima tilted his glasses up in order to hide the small smile that was on his face.

"I'm only doing my job." Kirishima replied before he left the room, Takaba smiled in response to the guard's words, knowing that more then likely the other was lying when he said this.

Asami had finished work later then he had been expecting to, things had been going smoothly for him up until the point that he got another call, a call to remind him to not go too far with Takaba and to get him to leave as soon as possible before something did end up happening. Asami wasn't all that interested in listening to what the person on the other end of the phone had to say so he ended up shutting his cell phone before the other finished.

Once inside of the limousine Asami fished a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and took the time to light it before telling his driver to take him back to the pent house. Asami took a deep inhale of the cigarette before fishing his phone out of his pocket once again, this time so that he could call Kirishima to see how the boy had been doing while he was gone. Asami didn't have to wait long for the guard to pick.

"Report." Asami ordered the guard as he took another deep drag of cigarette as he looked out of the car window as he listened to what Kirishima had to tell him. "Is that so?" Asami questioned amused by what Kirishima had to tell him. "Then you can let him know that I'll be home in a matter of minutes to pick him up." Asami told Kirishima let a light chuckle slip when he heard Takaba's distant voice as he listened to what else Kirishima had to say, once Kirishima had finished speaking he shut the cell phone and placed it back into his pocket, dinner was most certainly going to be interesting this evening.

Takaba was more then slightly nervous as he paced back and forth in the room while waiting for Asami to return, he still couldn't quite believe that he had said yes to having dinner so easily, it wasn't something that he should've been able to answer so quickly without giving it a second thought, it was something that he should've put a little bit more thought into, after all it was going to be Asami that he had agreed to have dinner with.

Takaba had tried to wear something that he felt would be appropriate for the situation, but was still concerned that it wasn't going to be anywhere as nice as what Asami was going to be wearing, certain Asami had provided him with the appear that he was currently wearing, but somehow it still seemed so dim in comparison to the suits that Asami wore.

Takaba had just sat down on the bed to take in a deep breath to relax when he heard the front door shut, that simple noise had him jumping to his feet in seconds, now standing he watched the bedroom door as he heard the other start ascending the stairs. Takaba was trying his hardest to tell himself that he just needed to relax because this dinner that he was going to be having with Asami wasn't anything major, just a simple dinner.

Though these thoughts didn't stop Takaba from jumping the moment that Asami opened the bedroom door and came into sight. Asami didn't say anything at first as he gave the boy a good look over before nodding his head in approval, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"You look good in that." Asami complimented the boy who blushed lightly as he muttered small thanks. Silence once again covered the room, as Asami did nothing more then stand there and stare at the boy who was starting to fidget. "I take it that you're ready to leave?" Asami questioned, causing the boy's eyes to meet his own for a second as the other replied.

"I suppose so."

The limousine ride this time wasn't so bad for Takaba since he didn't have to worry about what Asami was going to or not going to do to him. Thus without that kind of weight being on him he was able to enjoy looking out the limousine window at the passing scenery while Asami did nothing more then sit there smoking while watching the boy intently.

Takaba found that it was much more enjoyable to be able to look at Tokyo after night fall because of the lights, for the lights that illuminated Tokyo at night made everything that much more beautiful.

"I'm surprised to see that you didn't decide to bring your camera." Asami commented, causing the boy to glance away from the car window for a moment to look at the older man.

"I didn't think that there was going to be able to be any time to take pictures." Takaba replied.

"If you had said that you wanted to take pictures I wouldn't have minded making the time for you to do it." Asami replied, smiling softly at the way Takaba looked at him.

"You're already being too nice to me as it is." Takaba replied, not taking his eyes off the window when he said this.

"You're almost sound guilty by the way you say that." Asami mused, looking at the boy's reflection in the window. "If you're thinking that you wish to be able to repay in me in anyway then you can relax and enjoy tonight." Takaba didn't say anything but Asami was more then certain of the fact that boy had heard what he said.

When the limousine came to a stop Takaba looked out the front of the limousine for the first time since the vehicle had started, and the moment that he did this he couldn't take his eyes off of the sight in front of him. Takaba refrained from groaning though when he knew his thoughts about the kind of restaurant that Asami was going to be taking him to eat at were correct.

"Is it not to your taste?" Asami questioned, a hint of amusement to his voice when he saw the look that was on Takaba's face.

"It's too expensive." Takaba replied with a frown as he glanced at Asami who chuckled as the car door was open for him.

"I have the money to waste on these kind of places." Asami replied as he stepped out, the door being shut behind him. Asami wasn't all that surprised when he turned around to see that Takaba had already opened his side of the car without waiting for the guard like Asami had.

Takaba stalled some as they reached the entrance of the restaurant, not all that certain that he was really going to be able to handle being in such a fancy place.

"Are you scared?" Asami questioned, his voice rumbling right next to Takaba's ear as he leaned down to rest his head on the boy's shoulder when he stopped just before they entered.

"I've never been to this kind of place before- I don't really think that I'll fit in all that well." Takaba replied, even stiffer then before due to Asami's head resting on his shoulder.

"You should know that since you're with me there isn't anything for you to worry about, no one is going to say anything bad about you." Asami assured the boy as he gave him a slight nudge forward, an indication that the older man didn't want to wait any longer to enter the restaurant. Taking in a deep breath Takaba allowed himself to relax some as he made his way inside with Asami following closely behind him.

The dread over him having dinner with Asami was starting to return once again as they made their way over to a table towards the back where there weren't that many people. Takaba was about ready to pull his chair out but was stopped by Asami who did it before he had a chance to.

"Thank you." Takaba told the older man as the other moved around to take his seat at opposite side of the table. Not long after they sat down a waiter came to take hand them their menus and ask them what they would like to drink while waiting for their food.

"Champaign."

"Water." Takaba knew better then to ask for anything with any kind of alcohol content in it because he was still underage. Asami looked over at the boy but the other didn't return the look as the waiter left to bring them their drinks.

Takaba tried his hardest to not be too shifty as he started looking through the menu, but even though he was trying so hard he couldn't refrain from looking around, still feeling very uncomfortable with where he was at.

"Do you see anything that you'd like to get?" Asami questioned after giving Takaba a few moments to look through the menu, the older man already knew what it was that he was going to eat and had thus placed the menu back down the table to be collected.

"Everything is too expensive." Takaba fussed as he tried to find something that didn't cost that much, but he found out that the further down he went on the menu the higher the prices of the food became.

"Don't worry about how much the food is going to cost, just choose what looks the best to you." Asami replied, watching amused as Takaba's eyes scanned the menu back and forth as he tried to find something he wanted to eat. "Would you prefer me to choose something for you?" Asami questioned when it seemed as though Takaba wasn't going to be able to choose anything.

"I'm fine." Takaba huffed back, setting his menu down the table. "I'll order number thirteen. Asami didn't refrain from smirking in response to the boy's choice, for that was exactly what he was thinking about getting for the other.

Not longer after Takaba had made his decision that waiter came back with their drinks and took their menus after taking their orders. The moment that the waiter left Takaba started shifting around again, now without anything to distract him he felt nervous again, worried that he and Asami weren't going to be getting nice stares from the people who were around them.

Asami could easily tell how nervous the boy was but he refrained from saying anything, certain that his words weren't going to do any good. Asami however couldn't refrain from teasing the boy by rubbing his leg against the other's under the table. The light brushing contact caused Takaba to jump before glancing over at Asami with a slight glare, Asami just smirked at the boy. Takaba was about to open his mouth to say something to the older man but before he got that far the waiter had returned with their food.

It didn't take long for the waiter to have everything set before them; Asami thanked the man for the food before he left. Once the waiter was gone Asami turned his attention back to the table and to Takaba who was staring at the food like he didn't know what to do with it. Asami guessed by the way that the boy was acting that he hadn't been in contact with such good food before. Asami watched the boy with a high amount of interest, as he got ready to start eating his own food at the same time the boy picked up his chopsticks to get ready to eat.

Takaba wasn't certain how to start eating the food that was placed in front of him, because it looked almost too good to even think about eating, though it only took one protest from his stomach to cause him to start slowly digging into the food in front of him as he tried his hardest to remember his table manners so he didn't embarrass Asami by eating too quickly, though Takaba honestly doubted that there was much of anything that would cause Asami to feel embarrassed.

Half way through the meal Takaba actually slowed down to pay some attention to Asami. As with everything else the man did his eating was done with such finesse that it made Takaba feel guilty over the way that he had just been eating. Another thing that Takaba took high notice of was the fact that Asami was on his second glass of champagne and wasn't even acting as though the alcohol was affecting him, though Asami had been taking his time with the way that he was drinking, Takaba knew that they couldn't have been sitting there for more then twenty minutes. Takaba was about ready to start eating again when Asami suddenly spoke.

"You've never drunk before?" Asami questioned as he glanced up at the boy who shook his head.

"My dad was police officer remember, I'd have ended up getting into big trouble if I thought about drinking while being underage." Takaba replied while starting to eat again, taking a sip of his water as he watched Asami over the rim of his glass as the other took the napkin and dabbed his face before taking a drink.

"Would you like to try a drink now considering you have less then a year to go before you'll be of age?" Asami questioned as he held out the glass to Takaba who eyed it warily, he didn't know his alcohol tolerance level since he hadn't drank before, though he didn't think that one sip would do that much damage he deiced that it would be better not to risk it for the time being.

"No thanks." Takaba replied as he looked away from Asami and back down at his food. "I'd rather wait until I'm of age."

"Suit yourself." Asami replied before taking a sip and setting the glass down, feeling rather surprised and disappointed over the fact that Takaba refused to take a drink, he was hoping that he might actually get the chance to get the boy drunk.

By the time that they had finished eating Takaba feeling that it was about time to get back to the pent house, he was starting to feel nervous since he had been out of the house for about an hour now. Asami took care of paying the bill while Takaba stood directly behind him, heavily aware of the whispering and stares that they were getting. Takaba had to wonder if to some people they looked like a parent and child having dinner even if he didn't really look much of anything like Asami.

Takaba continued to follow directly behind Asami up to the point that they reached the limousine, at the point that Asami opened his door for him Takaba had no problem slipping inside while waiting for the older man to go around to the other side.

The first few minutes of the ride were done in complete silence, Asami not seeming to have anything to say and Takaba being uncertain as to what it was that he should be saying.

"Um, I want to thank you for taking me out to eat." Takaba finally told Asami when the silence started to become a bit too much for him to be able to continue handling.

"By your answer I take it that you enjoyed yourself?" Asami questioned as he looked at the boy who was once again staring out the window.

"Hmm." Came Takaba's reply as he gave a small nod of his head, when it really came down to it he did enjoy the dinner more then he had originally thought he was going. "The service was rather nice and the food was excellent. I enjoyed your company too." The last part Takaba said in a rather low voice as though it was something that he shouldn't have been saying to the older man. Asami smirked when Takaba said this.

"Like wise I also enjoyed the company that you provided." Asami didn't miss the way that Takaba blushed when he said this, the blush was something that pleased Asami more then the boy's own words.

Takaba was rather dozy by the time that the limousine had stopped in front of the pent house, but not so much so that he wasn't aware of what was going on. Shaking his head Takaba opened his side of the limousine before stepping out. Asami had already gotten out before him and was waiting for him at the top of the stairs. Asami stayed at his position by the stairs up until Takaba got ready to pass him, at this point he grabbed the boy by the arm and spun him around. Takaba's mind didn't process what had happened at first until he felt Asami's lips press firmly against his own, taking his breath away by the passion that Asami allowed to slip into the kiss as he put a hand against the back of the boy's head in order to deepen the kiss.

Takaba wasn't certain if it was because he got lost in the moment or because he was so tired, but this time he didn't responding to Asami's kiss by pressing his lips further against the other, if Asami had allowed for it to go any further Takaba was certain that he'd have had no problem open his mouth for the other.

By the time that the kiss had been broken Takaba was more then slightly out of breath and dizzy, to the point that he had to grab on Asami's suit to steady himself. Asami smirked down at the flustered by as he ran his tongue across his bottom lip.

"Consider that tonight's payment."


	18. Chapter 18

Between having dinner with the older man and then the kiss he got when they came home, Takaba was finding that he wasn't going to easily be able to fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. He felt too strange and wired after everything to be tired anymore.

Asami on the other hand had no problem falling asleep after they'd finished taking their showers, thankfully not together and then crawling into bed. To Takaba it seemed that the events that had happened that evening didn't faze him one bit. Takaba didn't know if he should be jealous over the older man's ability to sleep after what had just happened or if he should be hurt that he had acted like what had happened was nothing to him.

Takaba was thankful over the fact that tonight the older man hadn't wrapped around him so he was more free to move as he liked as long as he was very careful while doing it.

Carefully turning to his side Takaba moved so that he was able to see Asami's face, Takaba was finding that the more he sleep with Asami the more he was finding that he enjoyed looking at the older man's face when he was sleeping more then he liked looking at it when he was awake. Takaba knew that this had to do with the fact that Asami looked more relaxed when he was asleep, Because when Asami was asleep he didn't control the expressions on his face so he looked more natural and at ease, a person that Takaba felt more comfortable being around.

Takaba knew that he couldn't get away with looking at Asami for too long because he found that the longer he stared at Asami's face the stranger he ended up feeling. It didn't help that when he looked at Asami he couldn't help but stare at the other's lips and think of the kiss that he'd been given that evening. Compared to the other kisses the older man had given him that one stuck out the most because it was different from the other kisses he had been given.

Takaba was trying his hardest not to think too much about his feelings though after what Kirishima had talked to him about. Takaba knew that he had more things to worry about rather then thinking about if he liked Asami or not. At the current moment in time what Takaba really needed to be thinking about was if he was going to continue staying with Asami or if it was better to leave before things got out of hand.

Shutting his eyes Takaba shook his head before rolling back over on to his other side so that he was no longer facing Asami. Takaba needed to sleep more then he needed to think about everything that was going through his mind.

Asami knew for a fact that he was awake earlier then normal when he started to become slowly conscious due to the sound of a cell phone ringing. At first Asami lay there with his eyes closed as he decided to see how long the device was going to ring for, but when it become apparent that whoever was calling wasn't planning on stopping any time soon.

Opening his eyes Asami and glanced over to the night stand on his side of the bed, he knew for a fact that it wasn't his cell phone that was ringing, so he figured that it was Takaba's that was making so much noise. Reaching his arm out Asami grabbed the device off of the nightstand and pressed the talk button.

"Takaba?" Asami recognized the voice right away to belong to one of Takaba's friends, though he couldn't remember which one it was.

"Takaba is currently sleeping, what do you need?" Asami questioned keeping his voice rather low as he carefully got out of the bed and moved over to the other side of the bed to slip into his bathrobe.

"I was calling to check up on our friend since he hasn't called us back since the last time I talked with you." Asami paused for a few seconds when he heard this reply.

"Things with him have been a bit busy so he hasn't had the chance to call you back yet." Explained, hearing the light pause on the other end of the phone before the other started talking again.

"How long is Aki planning on staying there with?" Asami chose to ponder over this question for a few seconds before replying.

"It won't be much longer that he's going to be able to stay here for, though it really just depends on when he wants to leave." The next question that Asami was asked didn't surprise him at all; in fact it caused him to smile slightly.

"Who exactly are you?"

"I'm someone who's set into place to help troubled kids." Once Asami had given this reply he decided to go ahead and hang up without waiting to see if there was anything else the other wanted to say to him. Asami looked at the cell phone for a few seconds before setting it down, he knew that when Takaba woke up he was going to have to let the other know that his friends called him.

"Damn." Takato muttered to himself as he heard the disconnected signal on the other end of the phone. He was really hoping that this time he'd get Takaba instead of that Asami person, but sadly that wasn't the case.

"Not Aki?" Kou asked from his position where he was laying down on the loveseat. Takato shook his head at his friend's question.

"No, I was still stuck speaking to that Asami person, he said that Aki was sleeping." Takato replied, Kou frowned when he heard this. Both were really worried about their friend sine they had just gotten back from their school trip to find out that he was being taken care of by someone they didn't know and that Takato didn't trust. "I'll try calling again in another hour or two Aki should be awake and answer if he really is staying there." Takato told the other as he set the cell phone down on his computer desk.

Takato had been trying his hardest to find out whatever it was he could about the Asami person who was supposedly taking care of Takaba, but no matter what kind of searches he tried he couldn't really come up with much about the other, setting aside the fact that he seemed to be the owner or a rather expensive club, club Sion.

"I hope Aki's okay, it isn't like him to get himself into some kind of trouble." Kou sighed as he stared up at the ceiling.

" I know, I think that the next best thing to do would be talk to him and see if he knows what's going on."

"Can we really trust what he says though? I mean I know Aki trusts him and all and he was the one who pulled him out of all that trouble, but…"

"I know what you mean." Takato replied as he stood up, "But at this current point in time he's the only source Aki would've had contact with while we were gone, so if something happened he's going to more then likely be the one to ask questions. You should get some more sleep while I try to go and talk with him." Kou gave a small nod of his head as he stifled a yawn with his hand.

Takaba felt rather confused and disoriented when he woke up to the smell of food, it took him a few seconds lf laying there enjoying the smell to open his eyes and notice that it was rather light outside and that he was the only one left in bed. Through half lidded eyes Takaba scanned around the room just to be sure that Asami was indeed not in sight before pulling the covers back and stretching. Takaba lay there for a few more seconds before shaking his head and deciding that it was time to get up and around. Takaba was fairly certain that unless Asami had left and Kirishima had already come over then Asami was cooking.

Takaba decided to skip taking a shower and just washed up and changed his clothes before heading down in the direction of the kitchen. If Asami really was cooking then he didn't want to make the older man wait to eat.

The moment that Takaba stepped into the kitchen he froze at the sight of the food on the table, to him it appeared as though a feast had been set out.

"I see you're awake." Takaba turned in the direction of Asami and was once again surprised, this time though it was due to the sight of the other wearing an apron over a white dress shirt. Takaba could refrain from blushing lightly when Asami raised an eyebrow at him, making him realize that he was probably staring at the other for longer then he should've been. The apron, just like everything else Takaba had seen the older man wearing looked really good on the other, almost too good as it were.

"Sorry." Takaba told Asami as he turned away from the other to once again look at all the food that had been placed on the table. "You didn't have to make so much." Takaba told Asami as he watched the other pass by him with another two, which appeared to be the rest of the food that the older man had made.

"You need to put on some weight." Asami replied as he took of his apron resting it on the back of one of the chairs around the table as he turned to face Takaba who was once again looking at the spread on the table. "In order to do that you're going to need to eat a lot more then you have been." The only thing that let Asami know Takaba heard what he was saying was the fact that that the other glanced at him.

Takaba didn't like the fact that Asami was more interested in watching him eat then he was in eating the food in front of him, this of course caused Takaba to feel as though he wasn't able to eat all that much himself.

Asami seemed to notice the boy's slowed pace when it came to eating because he suddenly started paying more attention to the food that was in front of him then the boy. Asami didn't miss how Takaba relaxed some once the other started nor how he increased his pace in eating.

Takaba was honestly surprised that by the time the two of them had finished eating they had somehow managed to take care of all of the food that was on the table, Takaba wasn't even aware that he could eat that much at once. One thing that Takaba wasn't all that happy about was that despite the fact that Asami was the one who cooked at all that food, the older man wouldn't let him do the dishes, it made Takaba not only irritated but also guilty, he was once again starting to feel as though the older man was doing way too much for him.

"You know earlier this morning your friends tried to call you." Asami told Takaba when he noticed the way that the other was sitting at the table and pouting. The boy immediately seemed to perk up when Asami said this.

"My friends?" Takaba questioned, not certain that he had heard the older man correct.

"Yes, I think that they said their names were Kou and Takato." Asami replied.

"Wow, I didn't think that they were back from their school trip already." Takaba gave a small laugh, more then a little happy to hear this news.

"You're safe to call them if you wish to, though I get the feeling that they'll probably try to call back here again." Asami told Takaba who seemed to brighten up even more at being given that kind of permission.

Takaba had missed Kou and Takato a lot; it had been over a week since he had last talked to them because they had to leave to go on a school trip, something that Takaba couldn't accompany them on. With everything that had been going on Takaba hadn't even realized that it was time for them to come back already.

Takaba wasted on time in heading up the stairs and back into the room where Asami told him that his cell phone would be placed. Takaba had hardly grabbed the device before it started ringing. Grinning Takaba didn't even hesitate to press the talk button.

"Aki?" the question that came from the other end of the phone came out rather cautious.

"Takato?" Takaba questioned, mimicking the same tone that his friend used.

"Is that really you Aki?" Takaba tried not to laugh when he heard Kou speaking into the phone on the background.

"Of course it's me, do you know of anyone else who has the same tone of voice as me?" Takaba questioned, not all that surprised when neither one of his friends chose to laugh over his question.

"You had us really worried there for a while, it kinda seemed like you got yourself into some major trouble." Takaba sat down on the bed while listening to Takato.

"Just because you two are gone for a week doesn't mean I'm going to somehow find a way to get myself into a position where I end up getting myself killed."

"Aki its you we're talking, I mean how many days were passing by where you wouldn't get yourself into trouble?" Takaba huffed at his friends' question, though he knew that the other was just really worried about him.

"Its not my fault that some many different people seem to be attracted to me." Takaba replied.

"I know that you don't enjoy being in those kind of positions any more then we enjoy seeing you in them, I was just really worried when you weren't the first person to pick up your cell phone. Who is that Asami person anyway?" Takaba paused for a few seconds as he considered how it was that he should answer his friends' question, was Asami going to be upset if he was mentioned to one of his friends.

"He's someone who's taking care of me for the time being." Takaba replied, not liking the short pause that was on the other end of the phone.

"I thought that you said Feilong wouldn't have a problem taking care of you while were gone?" Takaba couldn't refrain from flinching not only at the tone of voice that Takato asked this question in but also due to the mentioning of Feilong's name.

"Yeah, well a few things happened while you two were gone so things didn't work out as planned." Takaba replied, trying to keep his voice level though he felt very uneasy inside.

"Did he do something to you?" Takato questioned, the hard tone in his voice showing that Takato was more then likely clenching his jaw while asking this question. Takaba knew though that this wasn't really the kind of question he should be answering, he didn't want to end up getting Kou or Takato in trouble with Feilong, he knew that it was one of the worst things that he could end up doing.

"I was just really stupid is all, it isn't anything that you guys need to worry about."

"If you say so." Takaba could easily tell by Takato's tone of voice that he didn't believe what he said.

"How was your guys school trip by the way?" Takaba questioned, changing the subject to something he knew that he could get Takato to talk about for a bit, they had been gone for over a week after all.

"It was okay at first, got a chance to see some interest sights, learn some new things. Nothing all that interesting happened aside from Kou getting us into some trouble at one place for deciding to ignore a warning that a teacher gave him. He almost got himself suspended from school for that one." Takaba laughed at this, because he remembered that back when he used to go to school Kou was always getting himself into some kind of trouble or other, though nothing serious enough to end up getting himself kicked out of school for more then like a day at a time.

"Sounds like typical Kou, though I thought that the two of you were supposed to be partnered together."

"We were, which meant that I was the one who had to talk the teacher out of suspending him because I knew that I was also partly responsible for making sure that he didn't get himself into trouble. Thankfully we only got suspend from school for three days rather then the week that the teacher initially wanted to give him."

"Didn't he learn anything after what happened last time?" Takaba questioned laughing when his friend laughed.

"Well he's most certainly learned how not to be caught by the teachers so easily, but he's still about the same as he has been throughout school. So when are you planning on coming back? I don't think I'm going to be able to keep Kou behaving much longer on my own." Takaba grinned when he heard Kou shout something in the background that caused Takato to laugh.

"I'm not all that certain when exactly I'm going to be coming back, I was kinda wondering about giving up on school and just getting a job, I'm close enough to twenty and all." Takaba replied, knowing for a fact that Takato wasn't going to like this answer. This wasn't the first time that Takaba mentioned something to his friends about quitting school and getting a job and neither one of them approved of it. Takato had even gone so far as mention on many different occasions that if necessary he'd pay Takaba's school fees in order to make sure that the other finished.

"Aki, you know that we both want for you to finish school, there is no reason for you to think about getting a job right now. Sure you might be close to turn twenty and all, but you still got lots of time to think about what it really is what you want to do. You also know that my parents give me more then enough money to take care of myself and Kou, it wouldn't really take that much extra to also pay for you to be able continue going to school." Takaba sighed when his friend said this, knowing that the other just wanted him to be happy and get the chance to do what he wanted.

"I know that, I just don't want to have to keep relying on you guys so much, I already feel guilty enough for everything that you guys have already done." Takaba replied, his voice slightly lower then it was before.

"Aki, we've already told you before that there isn't anything for you to feel guilty over, both Kou and I are doing this because we want to, not because we have, we're friends after all." Takaba smiled when Takato said this.

"Thanks guys, I know that you're just trying to help me." There was a short pause after Takaba said this where neither person talked, rather uncertain of what to say next.  
>"So when do you think the next time we'll be able to see you will be?" Takaba froze a slight amount when Takato asked this question, he was certain that Asami wouldn't mind all that much if he wanted to go and visit his friends, at least he wouldn't mind all that much if Takaba didn't mind him coming along, it was more a matter of whether or not Takaba was going to be able to handle going to see his friends.<p>

"I think that there shouldn't be a problem with me coming over in the next few days. I don't see why Asami would mind me paying a visit, though he might prefer to come along with me." Takaba didn't miss the way that Takato huffed when he said; it was very obvious to Takaba that Takato didn't seem to like the older man.

"Now that we're back, shouldn't it be safe for you to come back and stay with us for the time being?" this was another question that Takaba wasn't certain how to answer.

"I can talk with him about and see what he says." Takaba replied though feeling rather nervous over the concept of bring that type of conversation up to Asami so suddenly, especially after everything that the older man had done for him.

"Well, I text you later to know what the response is, for the time being we have to leave." Takato told the other, not trying to hide the irritation in his voice over the fact that he had to stop talking to the other.

"No problem, I'll try to be on to text you the answer." Takaba replied. Both exchanged farewells before Takaba hung up. Sighing Takaba flopped back on the bed, laying the cell phone down next to him. Everything was starting to feel as though it was spinning out of control for him. Too many things were starting to come up at once that he didn't really feel like he was going to be able to handle. Turning on his side he shut his eyes, he was starting to feel tired so he figured that Asami wouldn't mind him getting some sleep since there wasn't much else for him to, once he woke up later he could think about how to broach the subject to Asami.


	19. Chapter 19

The next time Takaba woke up heard a soft continual tip tack noise near him on the bed; still being dozy it took him a few seconds even after he had opened his eyes to realize what the noise was.

Asami was sitting near his side on the bed working with a laptop. Though Takaba hadn't moved an inch or made a single noise Asami was somehow still aware of the fact that he had woken up and had turned his head slightly look at him.

"Do you feel more rested?" Asami questioned Takaba who gave a small nod of his head while allowing himself a small stretch even though the older man was there.

"I thought you had to leave for work today though?" Takaba questioned realizing that it was still light outside even though it felt as though he had been sleeping for such a long time.

"I did have work to do today but I'm taking care of it from here. You seemed uneasy when you first when to sleep earlier so I decided that for today it would be best for me to stay here." Asami replied, not missing the light blush that passed over the other's face nor the slight look of guilt in his eyes upon hearing his news. "There is nothing for you to feel bad about." Asami told the boy, taking a hand and running it lightly through his hair, "It was my choice to stay here." Takaba was still frowning even after Asami told him this. Asami stared at Takaba for a few seconds longer, liking the way that the other squirmed under his gaze. Once Asami was satisfied with what he had done with the boy he turned his attention back to his computer and resumed typing. "So I take it by the fact that you didn't come back out that you got the chance to talk with your friends?" Asami questioned, as he didn't look up from the computer as he waited to her Takaba's reply.

"Yeah, they were happy to hear from me again." Takaba replied as he buried himself into the sheets, purposely allowing his feet to brush past the small of Asami's back as he stretched them out.

"And what did they have to say to you?" Asami questioned, still not taking his attention away from the work in front of him even though he wanted to look at the boy again, wishing to judge the other's expressions as he asked this question.

"They were worried about, wanted to know where I had been staying, wanted to know when I'd be coming back to school, what I had been doing, Takato also asked about you." Takaba didn't stop himself from shirking into the sheets when Asami turned to look at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"And what did you say about me?" Asami questioned, already knowing that Takaba would more then likely not say anything bad about him after everything that they had been through together.

"I just told him that you were taking care of me for a while since they were gone and things didn't quite work out the way they were supposed to." Takaba replied, switching the words he wanted to use so he didn't have to say Feilong's name, not just for himself, but because he was certain that Asami wasn't going to react all that well to hearing the other's name either.

"I see." Asami replied, seeming to have lost interested in what the boy was saying again as he had already returned to look at his computer screen again. "They also wanted to know if it'd be safe for me to go and stay with them for a while?" Takaba left his sentence as an opened questioned, certain that Asami would more then likely not agree to the idea. Asami was quiet as he stayed appearing to be absorbed in what he was doing on his computer, Takaba was certain that with how long it was taking Asami to reply that the answer was definitely going to be now. So what Asami actually said in response to his question surprised him quite a bit.

"What is it that you'd like to do?" Asami questioned, looking at the boy from the light glare in his computer screen, not missing the surprised expression that had crossed over his face.

"I, I really don't know what I want to do." Takaba replied, following up his words with a light sigh as he looked down at the sheets.

"I don't expect you to come up with answer right now, I just want you to know that you have the option of leaving to stay with them if you like. I of course would want to meet them first in order to make sure that they don't see untrustworthy, but as of now I leave the choice up to." Asami's words didn't really help Takaba to feel that much better, if anything they ended up making him feel worse about the whole situation. If he had to give an honest answer he'd say that he wanted to stay with Asami, but at the same time he didn't know if that was a good choice to make because he didn't want to keep imposing on Asami who had already done so much when it came to the matter of taking care of him.

"Thanks." Takaba muttered, as he buried himself further into the sheets, not wanting to look at Asami who he was certain had turned to look at him.

Asami was slightly bothered by the fact that after he was done with work and had asked Takaba if he wished to join him for dinner the boy had turned him down, saying that he'd prefer to sleep more then eat at the current moment in time. Asami didn't per say think that it was a bad thing that Takaba wanted to keep sleeping, he just knew that it wouldn't be good for the boy to go too much without eating regularly, because he was already fairly under nourished as it was.

Asami proceeded to eat dinner on his own in his office, but made sure to set something aside for Takaba in case the boy woke up hungry later on and wanted something easy to eat.

Asami had pretty much taken care of all the work that he needed to while he was sitting in the room with Takaba, but there were still a few small things that he needed to finish up while the boy wasn't around, he didn't want Takaba to get the wrong kind of ideas if he ended up seeing something he shouldn't be again.

Asami couldn't help but go back to thinking about the question that Takaba had asked, was he really that okay with the boy leaving to go and spend some time with his friends? Asami knew for a fact that the moment that Takaba left his house like that that it won't be right to bring the boy back if he was happy staying with his friends. Asami knew that the moment that Takaba adjusted well enough to head out on his own that it might that he'd have to let the other go. As much as he didn't like this thought he knew that it was better to pull away from the boy sooner rather then later, for he knew that in the long run it was going to end up being a lot less pain and stress for the both of them if the matter was handled that way.

Asami was also fairly certain that Takaba wouldn't mind him leaving the boy so much as long as the other was happy with his friends, because he was sure that the boy wouldn't feel like he was abandoning him, Asami was certain that even the other knew it was going to be time for him to leave sooner rather then later.

Shaking these thought from his mind Asami turned his attention back to the work in front of him that needed to get done, if he didn't start working on it seriously he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep before the end of the night.

Takaba couldn't sleep any more, no matter how hard he tried with his eyes shut, as he stayed buried under the sheets and despite the fact that he was still feeling rather exhausted he just couldn't fall back to sleep. He wasn't all that certain what time it was, he just knew that the sun had already dropped and Asami had yet to come to bed. Takaba couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed over the fact that the older man had yet to join him in bed, but didn't even think for a second that that might've been the reason behind why he wasn't able to get any more sleep.

Takaba was fairly certain that his reason for not being able to get any more sleep had nothing to do with the older man, well it kinda did. Takaba still couldn't bring himself to decide who it was that he wanted to stay with, either side he choose he knew that he'd either be imposition his friends or Asami depending on where he chose to stay. Takaba knew that in the long run it was better to stay with Asami because he knew for a fact that the older man had a lot of money, considering he was being paid to take care of kids like Takaba and between his friends and the older man Takaba was fairly certain that it'd be easier to get Asami to allow him to give pay back over Kou and Takato who'd endlessly fuss if he even thought about trying to pay them back.

Takaba did miss his friends dearly and wouldn't miss a chance to go and visit them, but he didn't really find the idea of staying with them all that appealing, not just because he was going to impose on them by staying there, but also because he was fairly certain that they'd try and push him to start going to school again, something he wasn't all that certain that he was ready to do again. Sure he really did enjoy it back when he was able to go to school, but that was back when his parents were paying for him and they had enough money to take care of themselves, now going to school would mean that his friends would have to fork over quite a bit of money in order for him to be able to attend.

Takaba shook his head back and forth as he tried to clear these concerns from his mind, he knew that it wasn't the best thing for him to be trying to think about when he was attempting to get more sleep, but sadly for Takaba the more things went one the more he was finding himself worrying towards the evening.

Huffing slightly to himself Takaba buried himself further into the sheets in attempt to stay warmer when the cold started getting to him, now he was finding himself wishing tat the older man was in bed with him, because at least then he wouldn't be so cold nor would his thoughts be straying as much as they currently were.

Covering his head with the sheets Takaba decided to just forget about everything else and just focus on getting some sleep, tomorrow would be when he'd make the decision as to what it was he was going to do about Asami and his friends. Though he was fairly certain that out of the two the older man was going to win when it came to whom he was going to decide to stay with.

"Wow this is where you spend the day working?" Takaba asked the question as he looked around Asami's office in complete awe, not really caring about the fact that not only Asami but also Kirishima were staring at him intently.

"Correct, this is the office that I primarily do most of my work during the day in. I take it that you like the view?" Takaba didn't even seem to notice or hear Asami approach him as he continued to stare out of the large glass window.

"Who the hell couldn't love this view?" Takaba replied as his eyes darted back and forth out of the window, trying to look at everything at once in order to make sure that he didn't miss anything that the view had to offer.

"After staring at it for so many hours of the day, the view can be a little mundane at times." Asami replied as he shoed Kirishima out of the office with a wave of his hand, not even turning to look at the guard when the other bowed at him before leaving the office.

Asami was actually quite pleased that he had managed to once again coax Takaba into leaving the house with him. He was certain that after the night before last the boy would be less willing to go out again so soon, but when Asami assured him that they were going to be going someplace safe Takaba didn't have any problems agree to leave with him.

"I guess I could see how that could happen." Takaba mused as he turned to look at Asami when he realized that he had probably been paying a little too much attention to what was outside the window. A soft gasp escaped Takaba's mouth as he took a step back, not having realized that Asami was standing so close behind him, Asami raised an eyebrow in amusement, not honestly expecting the response Takaba gave to how close they were.

"I have to say though that view is much better when there is something a little different to look at near it." Asami's words caused a light blush to appear on Takaba's face as he tried to move away from the older man with little success; the other seemed determined to keep him caged in.

"Is there something I don't know about going on?" Takaba questioned, ducking his head some when he could no longer keep Asami's stare when a slight hint of lust entered his eyes, a look that the boy didn't really enjoy seeing on the older man.

"Not at all, I just like the chance to be able to get a good look of you in the sun light." Asami replied, taking a step back when he felt that the other was becoming a little too nervous with what he was doing.

Takaba didn't really like the response that Asami gave, nor did he think that it was the truth, but figured that the older man wasn't going to be willing to give him a real answer to his question. Just as Asami opened his mouth to speak again there was a knock on the door behind them, when Asami turned to face the door that gave Takaba enough time to duck around him and bolt over to the loveseat where he quickly took a seat before the older man could say anything about it. Takaba tried to slow his heart beat some but was certain that when Asami walked past him he could easily hear how load it was beating in his chest, to Takaba it felt like it was going to end up beating right out.

Asami didn't refrain from smirking at the boy as he walked past the loveseat, liking the way the other squirmed under his gaze as he turned his attention to the door and seeing who was already bothering them.

Takaba felt rather uncomfortable when Asami opened his office door and ushered two men his office, appearing to be about the same age as Asami if not a bit younger then him. Takaba tried his hardest to keep to himself and not really pay attention to what Asami was talking with them about, but this was a harder task then Takaba expected, especially when one of the men kept glancing over in his direction while speaking with Asami. If Takaba had to guess he'd say that that man was the one who was in charge out of the two of them, of course Takaba was only making an educated guess because he felt that the man's aura was very similar to Asami's.

Another thing that Takaba noticed about the two men sitting there talking was that neither one of them looked Japanese, but rather Chinese, when Takaba did listen to the way they talked he could hear a slight accent to their words.

Just when Takaba thought that they were only getting started with their discussion with Asami when the first man pulled a folder out to show Asami, Takaba ended up being wrong because the moment that Asami had that folder in his hand the two men got up to leave the room, Asami standing up shortly after them as he followed them to the door, where he left them for Kirishima to take care of.

Asami didn't pay Takaba much heed as he walked past the loveseat and for this Takaba was pleased because he didn't really think that he could handle Asami bothering him so much in such a small space, just the thought of it made Takaba feel rather squirmish and uncomfortable.

The amount of time he and Asami actually spent in the office as much less then what he had been expecting it to be. Sure Asami had a quite a few people that he had to speak to and take care of, but he did it so efficiently that it took him hardly any time to talk with all of the people that Kirishima had brought into to him. Takaba hadn't moved all that much from the place that he had choose on the loveseat, mostly because he didn't want to get in the way while Asami was working and secondly he didn't really want to catch the older man's attention.

"Ready to leave?" Takaba wasn't quite expecting it when Asami suddenly asked him this question. He was certain that they hadn't been there long enough for it to already be time for them to leaving. As must've really don't been doing as much work as he needed to.

"If you're done then I suppose that I'm ready to leave." Takaba replied, stilling not moving from his spot on the loveseat, not certain if it was safe to with how close Asami was standing by him.

"What are you afraid I'm going to bite you if you get up?" Asami teased as he noted the way that Takaba looked at him while not quite seeming ready to get up from his spot on the loveseat.

"I wouldn't quite put it past you to do such a thing." Takaba replied, though he quickly regretted his words when Asami moved closer to him, leaving him with no space to back up even if he wanted to. "I don't bite on a normal basis, but if that's what you really want, I wouldn't have a problem obliging you."

"To be honest, I'd rather have you not standing so close to me." Takaba replied, hoping that Asami was going to take him seriously when he said this, rather then continue to tease him.

Asami of course wanted to do nothing more then keep teasing the boy, but he knew that it wasn't the best course of action, seeing how skittish the boy was, and knowing that if he kept making the other uncomfortable then things weren't going to work as well as he hoped they were going to with where they'd be going next.

"Very well." Asami replied as he stepped far enough away to where he was certain that Takaba would feel comfortable standing up. Takaba did take a few extra seconds to make sure that Asami wasn't going to move again before got up.

Once outside of the office, Takaba pretty much hugged Asami's back so he didn't end up bumping into anyone as they walked through the hall that the boy knew lead to the entrance of the building, freedom is what it meant to Takaba, freedom from bunches of people he didn't know and didn't feel comfortable being around. Asami also seemed to notice the way Takaba was acting because he wasted very little time in leaving the building.

One of the things that Takaba still couldn't get over with the place that Asami was working at, was the fact that it was a club, club Sion to be exact, but the thing that surprised Takaba the most was the fact that the older man owned the club, the whole entire club belonged to him. Takaba knew that the moment he heard this news he was right in thinking that the older man had a lot of money in his possession, though Takaba kinda doubted that he got it all from working with the kids that were given to him.

Once outside of the building and back in the limousine Takaba felt that he could relax some, even with Asami sitting near by him.

"You know where to take us to next." Asami told the driver through the intercom system, Asami knew the other heard him when he gave a nod of his head before the limousine started moving. Takaba wanted to question Asami about where they were going, but before he got the chance to do so the older man was already on his phone. Takaba tried hard not to pout about this fact even though it did bother him, reminding himself that even if the older man was taking care of him, he still had work to do.

So Since Asami was on the phone Takaba decided to pay more attention to what he could see outside of the windows of the limousine to see if that would help give him a better idea as to where exactly it was they were heading. At first of course nothing really looked familiar to Takaba because everything looked the same, which didn't help him figure out their destination any easier. There weren't even that many signs they passed by that would be able to tell him where exactly they were. With a soft sigh Takaba rested his back against the seat, knowing that he was going to have to resign himself to the fact that he wouldn't know where it was that they were going until they got there.

After driving for a bout fifteen minutes Takaba perked up when he did star seeing things that he instantly recognized, it wasn't just the signs on the side of the road that he recognized it was also the houses they were passing by that looked familiar to him.

Once they passed a certain point Takaba realized where exactly it was that they were heading to and that caused him to turn and look at the older man who was still busy talking on the phone, though somehow Takaba knew that even though Asami had a distant look on his face he still had his full attention on the boy.

How the hell was it that Asami find the directions to where it was they were going?


	20. Chapter 20

Asami could sense how bothered the boy became when he realized where they were heading, though Asami didn't understand why he suddenly became nervous.

Asami forced the phone call to end early seeing as it wasn't going to be that much longer before the car was going to be stopping so that they could get out, before that happened though Asami wanted to talk to the boy and find out what was going through his head.

"What're you afraid of, don't you want the chance to see them again? "Asami questioned as he slipped his cell phone back into the pocket of his suit and turned his attention to Takaba who's focus was on the house that was coming into view out the limousine window.

"I didn't know that you already knew where they lived." Came Takaba's reply, it was obvious by his tone of voice that he expected Asami to tell him how it was he found out.

"I looked it up before we came here, I figured that it was better to treat it more as a surprise for you, I know you wouldn't be able to refuse coming here if I didn't tell you where it was we were going to be going." Asami replied as the vehicle came to a stop.

Even when Asami's door was open Takaba was still frozen to his seat, not seeming as though he was quite ready to get out of the vehicle. "Do you want to head back?" Asami questioned, not wishing to force the boy to do something he didn't want to. Takaba shook his head at Asami's question.

"We're here, I might as well take the opportunity to see them." Takaba replied as he opened up his side of the limousine to step out. Asami was pleased with the boy's answer, for that meant things were going to go as well as he hoped for them to.

Takaba was more nervous then he thought he was going to be as he stood in front of his friends' house with his hand raised to knock on the door. Takaba was so distracted with what he was doing he didn't even realize that Asami was no longer standing directly behind him.

Taking a deep breath Takaba brought his hand up and knocked on the door softly twice, stiffening some when he heard Takato's voice come from inside, a sign that his friends were indeed home. Takaba was about ready to turn around to look at Asami, but before he got the chance to do that Takato had already opened the door and was looking at him, seeming surprised for a few seconds before a huge smile light up on his face.

"Aki!" Takato exclaimed both surprised and happy to see his friend standing there. Takato didn't even have a chance to hug his friend before Kou burst out the door and tackled Takaba, almost knocking him over because of how hard he collided with his friend. Takaba hide his wince as best he could as he returned the embrace that Kou gave him. It wasn't until that point that Takaba realized that some of his bruises still hadn't quite healed as much as he thought they had.

"Nice to you see again too." Takaba laughed when Kou finally let him go. Now that Kou wasn't hugging Takaba he stepped to the side to allow Takato to give his friend a good look over.

Takato was working hard to become a doctor so he'd be able to tell right away if there was anything wrong or odd about Takaba.

"I already told you guys there isn't anything for you to worry about, I was perfectly safe while you guys were gone." Takaba told his friends though he didn't stop Takato from the look over he was giving him.

"Yeah, you expect us to believe that even though there have been quite a few times when things haven't been okay yet you told us that?" Takato told his friend as he looked up at him with a stern yet soft expression, which immediately turned into a smile when he saw the way that Takaba was pouting at his words. "It's nice to be able to see you again though." Takato grinned as he hugged his friend who gave in and hugged him back.

Takaba was so distracted paying attention to his friends that he hadn't noticed the fact that Asami was walking away.

Asami had been standing there and watching the interaction between the boy and his friends and from what he could from what he saw he knew that Takaba was goin to be safe with them. Asami only have to give the boys a once over to guess who was Takato between the two.

Out of the two friends Asami approved of Takato more, just because it was easy to tell by one look at him that he was sharp and attentive, there wasn't much that his eyes were goin to miss and it was obvious that he cared about Takaba a lot by the way he acted and looked at the boy.

"Not trying to question you Asami-sama, but do you really think that it's best to leave so suddenly like this?" Kirishima questioned as Asami returned to the side of the limousine and got ready to enter it.

"Are you saying that there is a problem with what I'm choosing to do?" Asami questioned as he glanced back at Kirishima who instinctively bowed at the sharp tone in Asami's voice.

"Not at all Asami-sama." Kirishima replied, Asami gave a nod of his head in approval before entering the limousine and allowing for Kirishima to close the door behind.

Asami understood the unsaid part of what Kirishima was trying to ask him, and he already knew that what he was choosing to do was more then likely not the best choice at hand, but at the same time he knew that there was no way he was going to easily be able to hang onto the boy without problems appearing. Asami didn't even dare to glance back once as the limousine started up and Kirishima drove him away from the house.

"So where is this Asami person?" Takato questioned once they had finished doing a bit of catching up and he was certain that there was indeed nothing wrong with Takaba. Takaba turned around when Takato asked this question, expecting to see Asami standing there, more then likely waiting to know if it was safe for him to approach or not. Takato turned to look in the direction that Takaba was looking in when he saw the frown on his friends face.

"He came with me and dropped me off here, I don't think that he'd have already left." Takaba told his friends as he stepped off the porch and started heading in the direction that he knew Asami parked the limousine in, thinking that maybe the older man had just gone back to the car to wait for him to come back.

"Did he say if he had any place to go after he brought you here?" Takato questioned as he quickly followed his friend in the direction he was heading off in. Takaba shook his head when Takato asked this question.

"I don't think that he'd have left so suddenly, he seemed interested in meeting you guys." Takaba replied, stopping in his track when he saw the vacant spot where the limousine had been parked. Takaba didn't quite understand why it was but the moment that he saw the empty spot where the limousine had been he felt his heart drop. Takaba quickly tried to shake the feeling off, more then certain that Asami wasn't the type to suddenly just walk off him, or at least he didn't think he was. Asami cared about him more then that didn't he, after all he had to considering he did rescue him from Feilong and take him back in even after he had run off, so he had to care about him, right?

Takato didn't miss the way that his friend's expression changed when he saw that the Asami person was no longer there waiting for him. It was obvious that Takaba had some kind of feelings for him, though didn't quite know what exact type of feelings they were. Takato gritted his teeth as he prevented himself from balling his fists up at his side, there was no way that Takato was going to like this Asami person if he just up and left Aki after missing with his feelings.

Shaking his head Takaba turned to face his friends with a huge grin on his face. "He must've left because something came up, he'll probably come and pick me up once he's done taking of whatever is. So why don't we take this chance to catch up on what I didn't get to see on the class trip." Kou didn't seem to notice any change in Aki's behavior and was more then eager to talk about the class trip that they had gone on. Seeing as it didn't really seem like something to talk about for the time being Takato went along with this two friends and the three of them went back inside to talk about the school trip over some tea.

The two friends had been talking about everything for over half an hour, and as Takaba had suspected there were quite a few awesome things that he had missed out on by not being able to go on the trip with his two friends, things that of course mainly dealt with Kou doing things that he knew he shouldn't have been doing. Takato had even taken some pictures of things that their friend had been doing so that Takaba could see exactly what it was that they were talking about.

Takato could tell that Aki was enjoying himself talking to them and that his mood had indeed brightened with what they were telling him, but despite the fact that he seemed to be having a good time it was obvious that he was still bothered by something, something Takato figured had to do with the Asami person who had just up and left Aki after dropping him off here.

Takaba was obvious not all that aware of the fact that his nervousness had easily been noticed by Takato, though if anyone was paying attention to the way that he was acting it was easy to tell that something was bothering him. He really did enjoy talking to his friends, but his mind kept wandering back to Asami every time it wasn't distracted with something that one of his friends was telling him. One thing that he found himself consistently doing without him really paying attention to it was that he kept bring his hand to his pocket and feeling where his cell phone was, secretly hoping that Asami was going to call him up sometime soon to apologize for leaving him so suddenly while assuring him that he'd be there to pick him up later that night so that the could return to pent house to sleep, though somewhere in the back of Takaba's mind told him that Asami wasn't going to be there to pick him up, that he was goin to be sleeping away from the older man for the night.

Takaba didn't really like these thoughts all that much so he drowned them out with paying attention to the photos that Takato had taken, the ones that showed more of the scenery and less of Kou being a dick in them.

"You know I wish you could've gone with us, you'd have at least been able to get a lot better pictures then the ones that I took while we were there." Takaba laughed slightly at his friends words, Takaba knew that he took better pictures then his friend since he had taken so many classes so that he could become a photographer after he graduated, but Takato wasn't all that bad at taking pictures himself.

"You did a pretty fantastic job yourself, I mean you really did a good job with this picture here." Takaba told his friend as he pointed to a picture of some scenery, the sun was shining fully in the picture, flowers and trees were seen at the sides and in the middle was a picture of a small shrine, it was distant shot but because of the way that Takato had taken it, it wasn't all that hard to tell it was.

"You give me too much credit, I'm only able to take such good pictures because you were the one who helped improve my skills, if you remember I used to be such a mess that I didn't even dare to touch a camera because I knew that I wasn't going to be able to take a good picture no matter how hard I tried." Takato laughed, as he began to sort through some of the other photos.

"I still remember the time that you were the one picked to take a picture of the entire class with the teacher standing behind them, you totally failed that one by sticking your hand too close to the lens and accidentally cutting off half of the students and the teacher's head." Kou commented causing both Aki and Takato to laugh.

"Yeah, well I did warn him that the picture wasn't going to turn out that well if he left it to me, but he insisted that I be the one to do since it was the tallest in the class, too bad we had to wait three weeks after I had taken it to see how bad the damage was." Takaba couldn't stop himself from laughing when he remember how upset the teacher had been at Takato for not taking the picture properly even though he had already been warned about Takato's horrible photo taking skills.

Another three hours passed with the friends catching up on so many other things that had been going on, even in the last few days after Kou and Takato had returned up until the point that they had gotten the chance to see Takaba again today.

By the time that Kou decided he need to get something made for dinner, Asami still hadn't attempted to call Takaba, which was starting to dampen the young man's mood some, making it even more obvious to Takato that something was really bothering him. Takato wasn't all that certain how it was that he should brooch the subject with his friend since the other hadn't really seemed all that eager to talk about everything that had been going on while they were gone. So Takato handled it the best way that he could think of.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked Takaba who seem slightly startled by the other's sudden question. "I don't expect you to tell me what's bothering you but I didn't know if you wanted to talk to someone about it." Takato explained, watching the way that his friend's expression changed and the way that he didn't want to meet the other's eyes.

Two minutes had passed since Takato asked this question, though just as he was starting to feel fairly certain that Takaba wasn't goin to say anything to him he finally did speak, though his words didn't really surprise Takato that much.

"I miss him." Takato just stared at his friend after he had been told this, not quite certain what to say to the other. Since Takato hadn't chosen to say anything Takaba kept talking. "He's the only one that's been there through all of this with me, and- and I don't really want to think that he too now is suddenly going to leave me like this." Takato could tell by the distress tone in his friends voice that just as he had been suspect something major must've happened to Aki while they were gone.

"What do you mean by saying that he was the only one there for you while we were gone, wasn't Feilong supposed to keep you with him?" Takaba's head dipped down when Takato asked this question, his hands that were placed on the table hand started to quiver a small amount as he bit his bottom lip. Takato could easily tell by the way that his friend was acting that he was more then likely trying not to cry. "Aki what happened?" Takato used a soft tone of voice when he asked his friend this question, knowing that if he came across angry it would only make Takaba not want to say anything to him, so for the time being he knew that he had to suppress his anger so that Takaba wouldn't end up in a worse state then he already was.

Takaba tried his hardest to control his emotions by taking in a deep breath and telling himself that he was going to have to speak clearly if he expected Takato to hear what he was saying.

"You, re-remember, when I sa-said that things didn't w-work out while yo-you guys w-were gone?" Takaba tried to keep his voice from breaking, but knew that he was doing a horrible job of it.

"Did he do something to you?" Takato asked this question in a neutral tone, his fists clenched at his sides as he tried hard not to grit his teeth. The faded bruised that he had seen Aki's face and upper arms were starting to make sense, though Takato had really been hoping that what he was worried about having happened hadn't happened, even the fact that Feilong wasn't responding when he had tried to contact the other by phone. When Takaba nodded his head in response to the question Takato almost snapped, he knew that Feilong was a no good bastard, but he didn't actually think that the other would hurt Aki.

"He sold me to Asami." Takaba somehow managed to say those words without his voice breaking, more then likely because Asami's name was something that he found comfort it. Takato on the other hand was having a horrible hard time when it came to holding his anger in.

**A/N Just thought that I'd inform my wonderful fans to be expecting a valentines day story to be coming out in the next couple of days~ It mightn't exactly be out on the fourteenth, but I do intend to have it done by the end of the week if I have the time~**


	21. Chapter 21

Takaba almost regretted what he had told Takato when he saw the slight flash of anger that appeared in Takato's eyes.

"Come with me for a second." Takato told Takaba as he stood up from the table, obviously expecting the other to follow after him. Takaba stalled for a second, not certain if he should follow after his friend, already having an idea of what it was that the other wanted to do, but knowing that Takato would more then likely not let him he slowly got up and stared to follow behind the other.

"Aki and I are going into my room for a moment, you can come up and let us know when dinner is done." Once Takato got a positive answer from Kou he continued in the direction of his room with Takaba hesitantly following behind him.

Takato entered the room first and then stepped to the side of the door so that Takaba could follow in after him before he shut it.

"Aki please take off your shirt." Takato told his friend, standing a fairly good distance away from the other so that he didn't make Takaba nervous from his request or fear that he was going to do something to him.

Takaba stalled when Takato asked him this question, he was fairly certain that his friend already knew what he was going to see once he did lift his shirt up, but that didn't make him feel anymore uncomfortable showing off the damage he had gotten.

After a few slow seconds though Takaba did as Takato asked and lifted his shirt up over his head, not stopping until he had completely pulled it off so that his friend could see the fading bruises.

Once Takaba saw the look in Takato's eyes he couldn't bring himself to stare at his friends face anymore.

"Did that Asami person give you all of these? "Takato questioned, the anger seeping through into his voice, though he was really trying hard to remain clam despite what was in front of him.

"NO!" Takaba quickly replied, his voice almost a shout, though he quickly lowed it when he continued speaking. "He didn't do anything bad to me, I told you already he's done nothing but help me through all this, though things may have been rough at the start." Takaba could tell that by Takato's voice that his friend didn't quite believe what it was that he was saying. Takaba spoke again just at the same time Takato opened his mouth, "Asami hasn't do anything to purposely hurt me. Anything of this that you see on my body, Feilong did all this." Takato had shut his mouth again when Takaba told him this.

"That bastard." Takato growled lowly under his breath, past the point of being able to hide his anger from this friend. "Why did he hurt you like this?" Takato questioned, turning his attention back to Takaba as he looked over his friend's body once again, hating all of the marks he saw on it, the worst thing for him knew that he wasn't there to protect his friend from the harm that befell him.

"Asami said that he sold me to get drug. The bruises though are from the second time Feilong to a hold of me." Takaba explained, trying his hardest to keep eye contact with Takato even though it was really hard for him to.

"Second time?" Takato questioned, not liking the thought that Feilong hurt Aki not once, but twice. Takaba nodded his head, breaking eye contact this time as he looked around the room.

"A misunderstanding came up between me and Asami, I went into someplace that I shouldn't have and saw something that made me think something that wasn't true. I didn't even take the time to allow Asami to explain what was going on with what I saw. I didn't trust him, and even though he had shown me proof that Feilong was the one, who had sold me to him, I still went back to him and ended up causing more trouble, not just for myself but for Asami too." Takaba explained, feeling guilty over the fact that he had caused Asami to fork over such a large amount of money just because he acted without thinking.

"So you're telling me this Asami came to get you even after you suddenly up and left?" Takato questioned, rather surprised to hear that this person he didn't know anything about was willing to go so far just to get his friend back. Takaba nodded his head.

"He came to get me because it's his job to protect me, or at least it was at the time, now I don't know what it is that he's planning on doing with me." Takaba explained, the hurt look on his face showed that he did indeed really miss Asami as much as he said he did.

"Aki, if this person was really willing to go that far just to get you back even though he didn't really have to, them I'm certain that he wouldn't so suddenly up and leave you here like this. I'm certain that he had a reason for what he did." Takaba wanted to believe what Takato had just told him, but there was a certain side that still doubted that

Asami was just going to leave him here now that he had a safe place for the time being.

"I don't know, I want to think that's true, but I don't know enough about him to be able to really tell what he's thinking by doing something like this." Takaba replied, as he put his shirt back on, not liking the feeling of his injuries being exposed to his friend for so long.

"Don't worry about it too much tonight, for the time bein lets just go and eat, plan on staying here for the night and I'm certain that Asami will come back to pick you up in the morning." Takaba gave a numb nod of his head when his friend told him this. Takaba wondered if Asami knew exactly how much he was hurting him by not letting him know where he was going after he had left?

Kou already had the table set by time the two had come back down, Takaba made sure to push all of his concerns to the side as he smiled over the spread that his friend had made for him to eat. Kou wasn't the keenest of people when it came to seeing that there was somethin going on, but Takato and him had made a way to communicate in a way that Aki didn't understand, but that let Kou know that what they were talking about wasn't something to talk about when their friend was around.

"You know that you didn't have to do all of this for me." Takaba told his friends, feeling rather sheepish when they started putting the food closer to him, letting him know that they expected him to dish up first.

"Come now, Aki, you know it's been well over a week since we last saw you, I think that it's only fair that you allow me to spoil you with my culinary skills." Kou replied grinning as he took Takaba's plate and started putting food on it when it was obvious that the other was too uncomfortable to dish up his own food.

"You know those guys that I always feel spoiled enough just by having you two around as my friends." Takaba told them as he looked at the heaping plate of food, he could deny to his friends all the wanted that he wasn't going to be able to eat all of that, but both of them knew that wasn't true, Takato even more so then Kou since he had noticed how much weight his friend had lost in the week that they had been gone for.

The meal went well, not much talking was down between the friends and that was a good thing for Takaba because he didn't really want to talk much, he really just wanted to eat and be able to get some sleep, that way he would sooner know where exactly it was that he stood with Asami. Takaba had a good idea though that sleeping wasn't going to be easy, as he'd have liked for it to be.

After dinner was finished and Takato took care of washing the dishes, the fight over who was going to be allowed to sleep where started up, Takaba was being rather firm over the fact that he wanted to sleep on the loveseat, insisting that he'd be happier there then sleeping on one of his friends beds. Of course neither Takato nor Kou agreed with what their friend was choosing to do.

Takato felt that he should've been the one sleeping on the loveseat since Kou had spent the first two nights there after they had gotten back because he was usually too tired to make his way up the stairs and into his room.

"Look guys, it'll just be for the night, it's not like I'll be staying here for long enough that I'll need a room set up for me." Takaba argued, though even he wasn't all that certain as for how long he was going to be boarding with his friends. Takato sighed at this point, knowing that there was no way to argue with Aki any further on the point since he seemed to be firm about his decision.

"Fine you can sleep on the love seat, just don't expect me to leave your side until after you fall asleep." Takato replied, Takaba frowned at this though, for he didn't know exactly how long it would be before he'd actually be able to fall asleep nor how well he'd sleep once he actually got there.

"Then I suppose that I'll stay out here with you guys too." Kou chimed in, but was quickly shot down by both of his friends who know that he was really much too tired to be able to stay up for that much longer, and it really didn't take all that much to convince their friend to go up to his room and get some sleep.

Takato did his best to help get Aki set up comfortable on the love seat, getting him two blankets and two of the spare pillows he kept for his friend slept over before placing himself right next to the loveseat where Aki was laying.

"You want a sleeping pill?" Takato questioned as he looked up at his friend who was staring up at the ceiling, not seeming all that tired.

Takaba shook his head at the question.

"I don't really think that it's going to help me sleep that much tonight." Takaba replied, glancing down at Takato when his friend placed a hand over his own.

"The nightmares still bothering you that much?" Takato questioned.

"Not as much as they were before." Takaba replied, "Though now that I'm sleeping here I don't know if they'll start coming back again."

"Are you saying that they want away when you were staying with Asami?" Takato questioned as rubbed gentle circles on his friend's hand, something he knew helped Takaba to relax whenever he felt tense.

"Yeah." Takaba replied as he shut his eyes, allowing Takato to continue to rub the soft circles on his hand as he tried to will himself to relax, "It's the strangest thing, but after coming back to Asami the second time I found that nightmares weren't there anymore, that was as long as he was near by when I was sleeping." Takaba froze for a second when he realized what exactly it was that he had just said to his friend, if he knew Takato, then he knew that his friend wouldn't be pleased over the thought that Aki had been sleeping in bed with someone else, even if the other person happened to be older and didn't do anything to him.

"You slept together?" Takato questioned trying his hardest to continue focusing rubbing his friend's hand rather then getting flustered over the information that his friend had just given him. Takaba wasn't exactly why he felt the strong urge to hide under the covers when Takato asked him this question, but he knew that it probably had something to do with the fact that a. he had a small crush on Asami so he felt rather embarrassed saying such a thing, even if he was telling his friend, and b. because he knew that Takato wasn't going to be all that pleased with the answer he was going to be giving to his friend.

"He insisted that we shared a bed together, and because he didn't touch me or do anything else inappropriate I agreed to go along with it." Takaba replied, his voice muffled as he gave into his strong urge and pulled the blanket over his head even though his one hand was still sticking out. Despite not being all that pleased to hear this news, Takato couldn't stop himself from smiling at his friends behavior.

"Do you really like him that much? "Takato questioned, asking this more as a tease then anything, but was rather surprised when Takaba peeked out from under the blanket, a very light blush noticeable on his face.

"Maybe?" Takaba questioned back, not really certain what else there was to say to his friend, though he knew by the way that Takato's face dropped when he told him this that he probably should've blown it off.

"Fuck Aki, you really did fall in love with him didn't you?" Takato didn't know how exactly to feel about his friend falling in love, he just knew that whatever was going to happen he wanted the chance to talk with Asami face to face sooner rather then later. "Why do you like about him?" Takato questioned, wanting to at least get some information out of his friend.

Takaba stared at his friend for a few seconds as he tried to find the right way to answer that question, because, what did he really like about Asami? The man wasn't the most affectionate person that Takaba had ever met, nor did he come across as particularly considerate most of the time, though Takaba knew that he had to have a good heart because of the type of job that he was in.

"He comes across as kind of cold and distant, he tends to be cocky and is a huge narcissist, but he can be considerate when he wants be, he not that good when it comes to showing affection, but when it really counts he's there for me." Takaba replied, his mind wandering as he tried to think of any other reason he might like Asami for. "He isn't exactly the type of person I feel comfortable being around nor is he the type of person I'd want to go out with, but there is a certain something about him that makes it so that I can't help but be drawn towards him." Takato was very quiet as he listened to his friend explain the situation to him, wanting to make sure that the other had a good chance to explain his feelings without Takato interrupting him.

Takato didn't really like the way that Takaba explained the Asami person to him, because it made Takato feel as though this Asami person wasn't someone good for Takaba to be falling in love with.

"Does he know that you have feelings for him?" Takato questioned, studying his friends face when he asked this question, making sure that there was no way he'd miss any expression that came across it.

"I don't know, but I don't really think that he knows I like him, I mean I haven't do anything that'd make my feelings for him evident, at least I haven't tried to since I'm still not all that certain that I do indeed like him."

"Does he do anything that'd make you think that there is a chance that he might like you even if he doesn't know you have feelings for him?" Takaba took a few seconds to think about the question that Takato had just asked him.

"If teasing counts as a way of showing you like someone then maybe, but I think that he does that because he likes to see me act flustered, he comes across as too stuck up to even think about admitting his feelings for anyone." Takaba replied, sighing softly as he thought about all of this, knowing that there was indeed a high chance that Asami didn't like him whatsoever and was actually rather pleased to find someone to push him off on.

Takato could tell that his friend was starting to feel down again so he knew right away that it was time to stop asking the other questions and helping him to fall asleep before it got much later.

"Lets let this matter be for the night Aki, if he doesn't come to pick you up tomorrow morning, give him a call and if he doesn't pick up then I'll help you to go and see him." Takaba smiled at his friends attempt to cheer him up.

"Thanks Takato, but I think that if he doesn't come tomorrow morning I'll wait until later on before giving him a call, he tends to be really busy in the morning." Takaba replied, giving his friend's hand a squeeze as he snuggled further into the blankets, making it seem as though he was indeed getting ready to get some sleep considering how late it was.

Takaba wasn't all that surprised that after lying there for such a long time he wasn't able to get any sleep and that Takato had ended up falling asleep before him. Takaba was more used to lacking sleep then his friends were so it was nothing for him to spend a full night or two up without any sleep, even if the affects caused him to feel exhausted for many days after.

It wasn't like Takaba didn't want to get any sleep as he lay there with his eyes shut, it was just that every time he shut his eyes and tried to relax so that he could get some sleep, an image of Asami would suddenly pass through his mind and cause his eyes to snap open even when he did try his hardest to keep them shut as he attempted to drive the image away by thinking of anything he could of aside from the older man.

Takaba didn't really like to think of himself as being really attached to Asami, but as he lay there trying his hardest not to think about Asami, he realized that he was more attached to Asami then even he'd have liked to admit.

Takaba wouldn't allow himself to feel down about such a stupid matter, especially if it did turn out that Asami decided to dump him without looking back, because he knew that if such was the case then he'd be doing nothing more then pleasing Asami by acting so down about being left by him. Shaking his head Takaba once again shut his eyes, trying his hardest not to think of Asami as he willed himself to fall asleep quickly, hoping that maybe if he fell asleep, he'd wake up to find himself laying in the comfort of Asami's bed.


	22. Chapter 22

It was three in the morning and Asami still hadn't left his office, there wasn't really any pressing work that he needed to get done, but finding that he couldn't sleep he was having Kirishima bring him in anything and everything that needed to get done.

Lighting a cigarette he puffed the smoke out as he looked down at the papers before him, most of the stuff that he was looking through was pretty much useless nonsense that he really didn't need to give his attention to, but with everything that had been going on it was something to distract himself.

"Come in." Asami replied to the soft knock on the door, Kirishima didn't hesitate to enter the room with another rather large stack of papers that Asami eyed.

"This is the rest of the work that needs to be taken care of at this current moment in time. Everything else after this has already been organized and taken care of by me." Kirishima told Asami as he put the papers down on the desk.

Asami removed the cigarette out of his mouth for a second so that he could take a sip from the glass of whisky that was on his desk. He knew Kirishima wanted to say something about all of the work he was doing, but the guard was doing a very good job of keeping his mouth shut.

"Thank you, after all of this has been taken care of I'll have you drive me back home." Kirishima gave a small bow of his head before grabbing the stack of finished papers off of the desk and leaving the room.

Once Asami knew that the guard was out of hearing range he allowed a small sigh to escape his mouth. Something wasn't feeling quite right to him, and he didn't even have to think all that much to know what the problem was, but he knew that he wasn't allowed nor should he be thinking about what was bothering him.

After all the whole reason why was engrossing himself in his work so much was so that he wouldn't start thinking about what was bothering, but as happened every great once in a while, Asami found that the work he was currently doing wasn't helping to distract him one bit, even though he was signing the papers in the proper order and having to read through them all in order to make sure that nothing had been changed on him or that a new policy hadn't been added, he still found himself with too much time to think while doing this.

Thus the need for increased whisky consumption hit him as he drained his second glass, however before he was able to call Kirishima to ask him for a refill in his glass, his cell phone suddenly started ringing. Under normal circumstances Asami wouldn't bother checking to see who was calling him because he was expecting a call, this time however since he wasn't expecting any calls to be coming in he checked to see whom it was before answering.

The number displayed on the collar Id was both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, though it was a number that he wasn't very happy to see calling him.

"What a pleasant surprise, a wasn't honestly expecting you to pick up once you saw that I was I who was calling." The smooth voice talking on the other end of the phone grated on Asami's ears, because this was the last person that Asami really wanted to be dealing with at the current moment in time.

"What reason do you have to be calling me?" Asami questioned, his tone curt, as he wanted to end the call as soon as possible.

"Why am I calling? You yourself should know that answer already, after all you're the reason for me to suddenly feel the need to call."

"Feilong." Asami growled, his voice a warning to say what he had to say already. Feilong allowed himself a small chuckle in response to Asami's irritation before getting serious about the whole matter.

"I was calling because it just so happens that somehow the message got passed to me that you just freed your precious little boy." Asami's eyes narrowed when Feilong said this, Asami knew that there should've been no way possible for Feilong to know that information, especially since it just happened a mere few hours ago.

"Who told you that?" Asami questioned as he lit himself another cigarette, something he knew that he was going to need in order to stay calm about the whole matter he was dealing with.

"Who indeed, now I could you tell that, but both you and I know that the moment you know this person's name that he'll no longer be allowed to stay among the living, so I think for his sake I won't be giving you a name." Asami felt his anger rise at Feilong's words, but knew that since the other had as it were a slight advantage he needed to deal with a matter in a different way then the typical one he would usually do it in.

"Someone else will also be finding his head rolling if he even thinks about stepping one foot near where Takaba is. You've already been given your money, and even more so then what you originally asked for. What need to see in touching the boy now?" Asami knew that was probably giving more away then he should be about how he felt for the boy, but at the current moment in time, he needed to release his emotions a bit in order to draw Feilong on.

"Oh, so you do care about him even more then I thought that you did." Asami hated the amusement in the other's voice because it let him know that he was more then likely already planning on something. "Is it a problem if I want to get near to someone who I was in charge of taking care of before you got him?" Feilong questioned.

"Taking into consideration what you did the last time you saw him, I think that it's safe to say that no one would feel safe to let you around a boy who's still underage." Asami replied, his voice maintaining a rather calm level even though he didn't really want it to be.

"You have a good point there, but who says anyone aside from you has to know that I was around him? And as long as I don't do anything harmful per say, there shouldn't be a problem with me going to visit him."

"At that point it would be left up to him if he wanted to see you or not, though I'm not all that certain that either one of his friends would be all that keen over the idea of allowing you to be near him." Asami was starting to feel as though it was getting close to the point in time where he was going to need to end the call.

"Well his friends won't be that much of an issues if Aki decides that he wants to come and see me himself, I know for a fact that his friends wouldn't do much of anything to stop him at that point in time." Asami pressed a button on the front of his desk as he allowed Feilong to continue speaking, though he was starting to get to the point where he didn't really care all that much about what the other was saying, Feilong was most certainly proving that he was a threat that Asami as going to need to keep an eye on, but at the current moment in time because Asami knew that the other wasn't going to be moving any time soon there were other more important things for him to worry about.

Asami didn't even wait for Feilong to take a pause with what he was saying before he shut his cell phone and put it back in his pocket. Asami had finished with all of his work and he knew that it was about time for him to think about getting some rest before morning came and he had to get straight back to work.

The cool air felt nice to Asami as he stepped outside to where Kirishima was waiting for him near the limousine. Asami enjoyed the fresh air for a few seconds before he entered the limousine and allowed Kirishima to close the door behind him.

Kirishima was well aware of where exactly it that Asami wanted to go to, and that was back to his penthouse, but that didn't stop Kirishima from hesitating for a few extra seconds before he started the engine, just in case Asami decided to change his mind.

Kirishima didn't dare to talk though since Asami seemed to be in a rather bad mood, the guard knew why since Asami always recorded those types of phone calls, though at the same time he had the feeling that that wasn't all that was bothering Asami.

The city lights didn't even look interesting anymore to Asami, at least when Takaba was in the limousine he'd have a reason to enjoy looking at the lights because that was something that the boy enjoyed doing a lot, the boy was a natural photographer at heart so it was no wonder that he enjoyed looking at such sights without ever getting sick of them, while Asami on the other hand felt that after seeing the lights some many times back and forth from the office to his penthouse became a rather mundane and annoying sight because it signaled that things were starting to fall back into the older pattern that they used to be in.

Asami had drank three glass of whisky by the time the limousine had pulled in front of the penthouse and much to his annoyance he wasn't feeling any effect from them, his alcohol tolerance at times was higher then he'd have liked for it to have been. Asami put out his cigarette as Kirishima came around to open the door for him so that he could step out.

Asami didn't even really want to go back into the penthouse now that Takaba wasn't going to be there, because there wasn't much of anything for him to look forward to inside. Though Asami knew that the empty house suited him rather well, because he was a rather empty person. Being an empty person, why was there a need for him to have much of anything?

Once inside of the penthouse Asami started unbuttoning his suit so that he could take it off as it felt much to warm for him to be wearing it.

Once it was off he proceeded to make his way into the kitchen, though he knew that there wasn't going to be a warm meal waiting for him inside, he still felt the need to go in there and see if anything had changed.

Since the kitchen was indeed in the same condition it had been left in Asami didn't bother making himself anything to eat, but rather went into the fridge to pull out a bottle of alcohol, something he knew he was going to need if he expected to get some rest that would hold him over into the next day.

Cleaning was something that Asami knew he was going to need Kirishima to do the following day, because he wanted everything that had belonged to Takaba to be taken care of and given back to the boy before he allowed the overwhelming urge to keep anything and everything he used without giving it back. Partly because it was something to remember the boy by and partly because he knew that the other would more then likely at some point in time come back to collect it.

Asami however knew that he wasn't going to be able to do this though, just simple due to what was going to be happening in the next few days. He mightn't have been thinking about taking a new kid in yet, but that didn't mean his house didn't need to be examined in case something ended up happening that meant he did need to take someone in.

Asami drained the bottle quickly before dropping it into the trashcan on his way to his bedroom, the place he knew that he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep in since the room hadn't been aired out all that much.

Asami didn't care that much about how cold it was outside when he entered his bedroom, he just felt the need to open up the window in order to clear the air, to get rid of Takaba's scent from the room. Asami usually wasn't bothered much by that kind of thing but for some reason the boy's scent was really affecting him, affecting him in a way that caused him to feel rather strange about what he had done.

Lighting a cigarette as he sat down on his bed, he faced the wall as he told himself he wasn't to think too much about anything, except for sleeping, because tomorrow there was going to be plenty of time to think about everything else that was currently bothering him. Tonight though there wasn't much he could do to ease his mind except for sleep, for the few hours before sunlight that was.

Asami didn't bother to shut the window as he climbed into bed, because he knew that he wasn't going to be sleeping long enough for the room to get too cold and bother him.

Asami wasn't certain what was bothering him the most but as he had suspected he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep in his current position, not with his mind trying to move so quickly over everything that was going on, the main thoughts centering around Takaba and Feilong. Feilong more then Takaba just because Asami was certain that he had done things right with the boy, that he had made sure nothing had been messed up with the way that he had taken care of the situation.

The problem for Asami came the moment that he lay down and turned on his side, because the moment that he did this the boy's scent filled his nose, and it wasn't a very light scent either. Asami pushed back the shudder that wanted to roll down his back the moment that the scent traveled through his body. Asami of course wasn't weak enough to allow the scent to take full control of his body, so before it became too overwhelming for him he forced himself to roll back to the other side. Asami was more used to and more comfortable sleeping on his right, but he also knew that it would be good self-control training or so he told himself to sleep fully on his left side for an entire night, though in all reality he'd at most be able to get three hours of sleep before being forced to wake up and get back on his feet to take care of some important meeting that he had been putting off ever since he had gotten Takaba back.

Asami was trying so hard not to think about the boy, especially now that he was in bed and trying to get some sleep, he knew for a fact that thinking of the other wasn't goin to do anything to help him fall asleep sooner, it'd just drive away the small side of him that wanted him to sleep and force him to spend an all nighter, something that he hadn't done in quite a while.

Asami was sensible though and after about ten minutes of laying there not being able to get any sleep no matter how hard it was he tried, he got himself out of bed and made his way back down to the kitchen where he knew he kept his pills at, pill he hadn't had to use in such a long time.

Asami wasn't in favor of using pills to help him sleep when he was in one of his moods that caused sleep to flee from him, leaving him with the desire to spend countless nights up not doing anything of important aside from thinking, thinking that he knew would cause him to irrational things specially when he was sleep deprived. Asami of course hardly ever allowed himself to get to that point unless it was that small amount of adrenalin rush that he knew he needed to survive another few days on his own without anything interesting to catch his attention.

Most of the time Asami forced himself to take the sleeping pills in order to make sure he kept himself in check that way Kirishima didn't end up having to work over time for him if something did end up happening.

Asami was ready to make his way back to his bed and get his sleep, but before he allowed himself to do so he made one last trip into his office in order to make sure that the draw he kept his guns in was indeed securely locked, jus to be safe, in case something did end up happening.

Now having done that final check there wasn't anything stopping Asami from being able to make his way back to his bed and catch up on his missed sleep, the pills were already starting to work so fast on him that his eyes were feeling more then a little heavy and if it wasn't for the fact that his body had gotten used to this routine, he was certain that he'd have more then likely fallen asleep either in his office or on the floor before he even reached his room, but of course Asami made sure that his body was well trained to handle this kind of situation so that he didn't end up hurting himself.

The pills worked as well as they always did when Asami was looking for the deep resting sleep that he hardly ever got, the only problem with the pills was that the dreams Asami would end up having weren't ones that he was very fond of, however there wasn't much escape for him because the pills didn't allow him to wake up, not at least until his body felt well rested enough to handle the events of another hard day.

So despite the fact that his body was rather well rested after taking the pills and sleeping straight through, his mind wouldn't be in such a good condition. Asami had gotten used to this though, so his mind being almost completely frayed tended to be a good thing to him because it stopped him from thinking about unnecessary things for during this stage of events his mind was only able to work so well as to take care of the typical routine that he had set up fro himself so that nothing would be missed.

Of course Asami knew that after getting to sleep on this particular night that his mind wasn't going to be left as unscathed as he originally had hoped for it to be, because it just so happened that every thought was directed at the boy he had let go –Takaba was at the front of Asami's mind even if he tried not to think about the other, and his subconscious proved this point in the dreams that it projected to Asami's sleeping form. Of course unaware to himself, in his sleeping state the boy's name slipped softly from his lips, in a way that if the boy had heard the older man himself say it, his heart would've almost stopped and his stomach would've churned as he'd come to experience a feeling that he had never had the privilege of experiencing before, and the emotion that he'd end up feeling had one name, a name clear to anyone who had felt such a feeling before while knowing what exactly it was that they were feeling. And the name of that emotion was, LOVE, somethin that neither the older man nor the boy realized that they had for each other, not yet at least.


	23. Chapter 23

Takaba was depressed, depressed in way that wasn't typical for him or at least not typical from what their friends saw when he was depressed. Even Kou noticed that his depression seemed worse then it typically did and Kou didn't tend to pick up on things that quickly unless they were really shoved in his face.

The other worse part of the situation with Takaba's depression was he wasn't even attempting to hide it like he usually would, he just didn't care if his friends saw how despondent he was or not as he looked out of the living room window, waiting for a certain vehicle holding a certain person come to pick him up as he watched the light drizzle that was coming down outside.

"What should we do?" Kou questioned as he peeked his head around the corner with Takato to watch their friend.

I don't think that currently there is all that much we can do right now, later on I think I'm going to see if I can go and pay this Asami person a visit." Takato replied, his eyes not leaving the site of his friend. "Right now I think that the best thing we can do for him is try and get him to eat. He's lost some weight and I don't really think that it'd be good for him to lose much more." Kou nodded his head in agreement, for he didn't even need to feel over his friend to see that the other had indeed lost a good ten pounds or so and since the other had always been on the skinner side of things it should easily.

Takaba had heard the soft approaching steps of Kou and Takato, but didn't even care to turn and look at them, his eyes stayed looking out the window that was in front of him.

"Aki?" Kou tried, his voice rather low as he tried to get Aki's attention. Upon hearing his name being called he shifted his head a slight amount so that he could glance at his friends who were smiling at him. Takaba tried his hardest to smile back at them, but he knew his attempt was rather pathetic, because he didn't even feel like smiling, and Takaba hardly ever had a problem smiling around his friends.

"Breakfast?" Takaba questioned as he finally forced himself to look away from the window, knowing that if he kept doing what he was doing he'd only end up worrying his friends more then he already had.

"Yeah, do you feel up to eating?" Takato questioned as he stepped to the side some to give Takaba room to move around them.

"I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to eat after the feast I had last night, but I think that I can afford to try and tuck a bit more away." Takaba replied as he made his way past his friends and towards the kitchen.

Takaba knew that he needed to take a better approach to the situation then the one he was currently using, because if it did happen that Asami did drop him and doesn't decide to ever come back to him, then he was going to have to get over the older man no matter how hard it was going to be for him.

So Takaba knew it was better to start getting over Asami sooner rather then later, because he knew that his current mood was affecting his friends and making them worry about him more then he felt was necessary.

"I'm thinking that going back to school mightn't be such a bad idea." Both Kou and Takato had to stop themselves from choking when their friend said this. He gave them a funny look but didn't say anything. Takato was the first one to recover and speak.

"Aki, are you sure you want to go back to school?" Takato questioned watching the way that his friend nodded his head in response to the question.

"I've been thinking a lot about this since last night and I think that might be a really good idea for me to go back. I mean if I can finish school the that means I can get a hold of a good degree, maybe even one in photography and get a good job." Takaba replied, trying to make it seem like he was really excited over the idea, even though he knew he was just trying to find something that wouldn't leave him with a lot of free time to think. Kou was about to open his mouth to say something, but with one look that Takato shut him up because Takato knew that what Kou was going to say would more then likely not help the situation. "I still don't want you guys to pay for me, so I'll probably get myself a job in order to make enough money to go, but I think that it'd be very good for me to do this." Takato just like Kou had a lot he wanted to say to what his friend was doing, like how he knew that Takaba really didn't want to go back to school, but unlike Kou, he knew to hold his tongue for the time being

"Well Aki, you know that no matter what it is that you choose to do we'll both be here to support you, though I'd really prefer if you'd let us pay for you to go, its not like paying for one more person to go to school is really going to dip in the money we have saved up." Takato tried to reason with his friend in a light manner, though he knew that it was more then likely already a lost battle.

"I know that, I just really want to be able to do something for myself for once." Takaba replied as he finished the rest of his food on his plate. Takaba continued to stare down at the plate in front of him even though he knew both of his friends were starting intently on him.

"Very well then, I'll see what I can do to help you get a job, however if you do plan on working, it's going to be a light job to start with, nothing that keeps you away from here too long." Takaba immediately seemed to brighten up when Takato told him this. Now if he could just completely stop thinking about Asami then things were going to be able to go perfectly for him.

Feilong allowed the smirk on his face as he stared up at the boy who was looking out the window, not even seeming to notice where Feilong stood as the drizzle gave the Chinese man rather good coverage, making it almost impossible for anyone to notice him unless they were rather close to where he stood.

Feilong wanted that boy, no just because he knew it was a good way to get back at Asami, but because he found after the last time he had the boy in his hands, there was a certain little something that made the boy rather attractive, a certain something that made Feilong want to explore the other even further. Feilong wasn't exactly a cruel person, but he did however find himself feeling the want to break Takaba if he could get his hands on the boy again, break him to the point that he wouldn't resist Feilong no matter what it is that he did to him.

"Feilong?" a monotone voice questioned from behind him. Feilong glanced back at the Japanese man who was standing to attention, waiting to know what it was that the other wanted him to do.

"Yoh, it's good to see that you came without me having to call you twice this time around." Yoh just bowed softly at Feilong's words, knowing that it would do him no good to speak against the man in front of him.

"You require my services for what again?" Yoh questioned as he straightened himself out, though his features didn't really show much of any of the emotions that he was feeling, inside he really wanted to please Feilong the best way he could.

"I don't want you to do anything major, for the time being I just want you to track this boy for me and gave me details about his every move, if you see something special that you know would catch my interest I'd be greatly pleased if you'd let me know right away." Yoh once again bowed as Feilong showed him one of the pictures that Feilong had on his cell phone of Takaba.

Yoh couldn't stop himself from freezing for a slight second as he looked at the picture of the young boy that Feilong wanted him to tail. The boy looked rather young, or at least young then some of the other ones that Feilong had had Yoh tail, just by looking at the picture it was easy for Yoh to tell that the boy was more then likely not even of age yet.

"I'll do my best to follow him and give you a detailed report of what he does." Yoh told Feilong as he handed the other his cell phone back.

"Good, and this time Yoh, I hope that you don't decide to fail me at the last second, I don't think that I can handle your failure a second time around." Yoh again just bowed when Feilong said this, the Chinese man didn't even look at him as he took the cell phone and returned to his pocket as his eyes stayed glued on the window of the apartment where Takaba was staring out of.

Takaba was trying so hard not think of the older man, but the harder he tried not to think about the other, the more it seemed he couldn't stop himself from thinking about him, which put him in a rather bad situation when he was trying really hard to pay attention to what it was that Takato was telling him about one of the jobs that was looking to hire someone.

Takaba snapped his attention away from the window and looked back that advertisement that Takato was showing him. The job did look like a good one, one that'd be easy for him to do yet give him good pay. A delivery job was something that Takaba knew he could handle because it was something that he had done before without any problems.

"And it says here that the job takes either morning or afternoon shifts, from newly hired works, nothing for the evening." Takaba smiled as he himself read what his friend was saying to him. Morning shifts would be good for Takaba, or so he felt because it would be something to help him wake up.

"I'll definitely take a look at that one, it seems like it would be a really good jobs to take or at least for me to start from." Takaba told his friend as he folded down the page so that he'd remember where to look for the number and address later on.

Once Takaba had done this Takato resumed looking through the paper to see if he could find something a little bit better and light for his friend to do. However he knew that the job he was currently looking at wouldn't be a bad one for his friend to take because the other wouldn't be gone for too terrible long, though he would be working during hours when both Takato and Kou would be way school which meant that they wouldn't be there if their friend needed help with something, Takato would've preferred if Takaba took the afternoon shift, but knowing his friend he'd take the morning shift in order to help him get up and around better.

After looking through a few more job offers it was decided that Takaba would take the delivery job because it was the one that appealed to him the most. Now that they had finished looking through job offers Takaba once again found himself staring out the window in the living room, now with it being near afternoon the drizzle had stopped so he was able to see much more clearly out the window.

Asami still hadn't come, Asami still hadn't called, nor had he even bothered to send a text asking how Takaba was doing. Takaba was too scared to call Asami, but he did however send the older man at least three different text messages asking what was going on and when the older man was going to come and pick him up, and Asami had as of yet to answer any of the text messages that had been sent to him, of course this did nothing more then cause Takaba's heart to sink even lower then it already had.

Takaba knew that he had been once again staring out the window for a good twenty minutes or so and that it was about time to pull himself away before he allowed himself to get too involved in his own thoughts, knowing that if he let himself do that he'd more then likely drown in them.

However just as he was getting ready to move away from the window a limousine came into a sight, Takaba froze completely as he felt his eyes widen. One of the windows on the limousine rolled down, however from he point that Takaba was seeing the limousine from he couldn't see Asami's face, though it only took a few seconds before the door was opened and Asami himself stepped out.

Takaba felt the strong urge to bolt from where he was to the front door and then outside, even if he could just get a chance to talk to the older man he knew that it'd more then enough to give him so hope that the other hadn't forgotten him. Takaba knew though that from where he was at he wouldn't have enough time be able to bolt down and do what he wanted Asami, so rather then trying to do something that he knew he couldn't, without thinking twice he tossed open the window that he was in front of, thankful that Takato hadn't put the screen back in as he stuck his head out the window.

"ASAMI!" Takaba shouted the older man's name, not caring that doing so not only got the attention of his friends, but also those who were not faraway from the house. Takaba felt his heart thumping as he kept his eyes trained on the older man for any sign that the older man had heard him shouting his name. Nothing seemed to happen though, no movement, nothing to show that the older man had heard what the boy had shouted.

However, the lack of movement from didn't last that long because much to his surprise, Asami didn't even bother looking up at him or showing that he heard what the boy had shouted as he made his way back inside the limousine, the window was suddenly rolled back up, and the limousine started driving away, it was at this moment in time that Takaba really felt his heart sink, for if Asami had really heard the boy shout his name, then he had just been purposely cruel enough to show that he had indeed tossed the other away.

Takaba felt his knees give out on him as he slide down, his hands still holding a whit knuckled grip on the windowsill as the cold air blew over his face. Takaba was too hurt by what had just happened that he wasn't even that aware of his friends coming up from behind him, Takato closed the window as Kou hugged his friend tightly. Takaba didn't react at first, however it wasn't long before the tears started overflowing and before he knew it he was crying, crying the hardest he had remembered himself crying in a long time. Takato gritted his teeth as he moved to hug his friend tightly, there was now way around it now, he was going to pay this Asami person a visit and tell him how much exactly he had hurt his friend by what he had done.

Takaba wanted to shut everything out, he wanted to be able to shut down all of the emotions that he was currently feeling, he wanted to do nothing more then curl up into a ball and not have to deal with anything that had just been going on. The side of him that was heavily hurt by the whole matter he was dealing with wished that he'd just forget everything that had happened between him and Asami, wishing that he had never met the older man in the first place. Takaba wouldn't dare to admit what he was thinking out loud because he knew that even though Takato really cared for him that he'd slap his friend if the other told him what was he was currently thinking, however Takaba did believe and felt that it'd have been better if someone who'd actually wanted to sell his body for money had gotten their hands on him, because at least then he wouldn't be in so much mental anguish like he currently was once he was away from the person who had abused him.

The other side of Takaba however, the side that was happy that Asami was the one who had save him didn't want him to forget about everything that the older man had done for him, that side wanted him to cherish the memories that he had with the older man, to never forget them because the older man was one of the few people near him that had actually shown him so much kindness. Takaba didn't know though what it was that he should do, because his mind was telling him one thing while his heart was telling him another, and he knew that if he took the time to think about the whole matter long enough that both his heart and mind would agree on one thing, one thing that Takaba didn't want them to agree upon. Trying to once again stop himself from crying, he buried himself further into the sheets of the bed that he was laying on, hoping that he'd be able to fall asleep and forget about the emotions that were trying so hard to drown him. Takaba just had to keep telling himself that he was strong enough to get over something like this, and that it wouldn't be right to let someone like Asami cause him to feel so down.

Both Takato and Kou were hurting just as much as their friend was because they knew that there wasn't much they could do to make Takaba feel better now that he had more then likely just had it confirmed that Asami had dropped him.

Takato's resolve to go and see this Asami person had only grown stronger due to what had just happened. He just knew that it'd be better to wait and call the older man when there wasn't a chance that Takaba would find out about what it was that he was doing, because Takaba would more then likely try and stop him from calling Asami because he'd said that it'd be nothing more then a waste of time trying to talk to the older man. However to Takato, calling Asami wasn't at all a waste of time because the older man had hurt his friend, something that Takato that didn't let anyone get away with doing.

Kou wasn't much help though in the whole course of the matter, because he really wanted to be able to go and comfort Takaba, to hug his friend and try to say something stupid that'd make the other laugh, however Takato wouldn't let him do that because what Kou couldn't see and tell was that Takaba wanted to be on his own for awhile, he wanted a chance to sort out his mind by himself without having to worry about what his friends were thinking as he looked at him in his current state.

All that Takato cared about was settling the score with Asami person and letting him know how exactly much it was that he had hurt his friend, how much it was that Takaba really cared about him and the feelings that his friend had felt towards the older man. Takato knew that he had a good check on his temp, but with the current situation that he was dealing with, if he did get a chance to talk to Asami face to face, he wasn't all that certain depending on how the older man reacted to what he was being told if he'd be able to stop himself from lashing out at the older man for how badly he had hurt his friend.

However unaware to Takato there was third party person was intending on getting involved rather soon and setting a few things straight for the boy and his friend who didn't quite understand what exactly was going on.


	24. Chapter 24

A hitch in breathing, everything was spinning so fucking fast it was hard to tell which way was which. Large calloused hands flexed and unflexed in a bid to control everything that was welling up and going down at the same time. .'. Nothing was helping at this point in time, not even alcohol, which most of the time provided some form of relief even it was only a light.

He didn't want to be in the office currently, he didn't give a damn if all the work he had to do was really starting to pile up which meant that he'd be stuck with many countless nights of sleep because of it. He didn't care that his eyes were currently so far glazed over from everything that was happening too quickly for him to understand that he looked like he was either drunk or drugged, all he cared about was the fact that nothing whatsoever was helping whatsoever to relieve the burning itch to kill someone.

Another hitch in breath as the breathing was attempted to be regulated with no success. Two stumble steps were taking as the hands grabbed a hold of the desk in order to steady himself, there was still at least one thing in the room that he could have which he knew for a fact would take away some of the burn and help him to relax that small amount.

Opening the small right draw he reached into grab out his fix, the one fix he knew that the highest likely hood of helping him through this faze, of course though they weren't there. Cursing he slammed the draw as he forced himself to sit down in the chair as he gripped into the desk with white knuckles. Of course a certain someone would remove him since he had gone back to having to taken the pills so regularly again, after all the nicotine mixed with the pills could cause a rather deadly reaction inside of his body, though at the current moment in time he didn't really care.

'Why did you kill?' the small voice questioned as he looked at the older man who still had the gun in his hand was breathing heavy. 'Why did you kill my brother, the only person I had' the anger was hardly hidden in the boy's voice as he lifted his head away from the sight of the lifeless body on the ground. 'You said that you cared about, so why did you take him away? Why did you take him away from me when you said that you wanted nothing more then for me to be happy? Do you think I was honestly that happy with you, someone who couldn't even tell when I was suffering so badly?'

His head went back as he shut his eyes, and willed his body to relax into it, knowing that being tense wasn't going to help him any at this point in time. He didn't have his guns, but what he kept trying to tell himself was that he didn't NEED his guns, no matter how hard the situation in front of him was to deal, he didn't need to go to using his guns to make it better.

Hear the knock on the office door clearly but he didn't care, he didn't anyone to bother him right now because in his current state he wasn't all that certain as to what he would end up doing if there was someone else in the room with him. His hands were still shaking after all and that tended to be a high sign that he wasn't stable yet. He wouldn't take more pills though because he knew for fact that they weren't going to help him one bit, so he'd just have to find another way to deal with what he was going through.

Asami knew for fact that there was one thing that could and would help him get through what it was that he was dealing with, the only thing was that he knew he couldn't have it, no matter how much he wanted it, he couldn't take it. It was absolutely not allowed for him to do such a thing.

"Asami-sama." Asami didn't open his eyes even when he heard Kirishima say his name; he had to give the guard credit for feeling bold enough to enter the room with him being in his current state. "I think you really need to go and see the boy." Asami didn't respond to the other's words he didn't move. His eyes remained shut and he showed no sign that he had heard what the other had just said even though the guard knew he had. "You know that it is the only thing that will help you right now." Asami knew Kirishima was right, but he didn't really care, he wasn't allowed to go near the boy, so he wasn't going to go near the boy for any reason.

"No." Asami replied, he didn't have to have his eyes open to see that Kirishima was getting ready to say something else about the matter. "You know perfectly well that he is off limits and there is now way I'm going to go and see him while there is a chance I could end up putting him in danger." Kirishima shut his mouth at this point, knowing that there wasn't going to be much he could to argue the whole situation with Asami when he was in the mood he was currently in.

"I suggest then that if you don't wish to go and see him, that you take off the day from work today and rest. Even you know in your current state that there isn't much you can do here." Asami hmmed softly as he shut his eyes again, knowing that what Kirishima said was true, because he knew that his mind was in too much of a mess to focus on anything that he was going to need to get done.

"Fine, I'll take the day off of work." Asami relented, as he opened up his eyes to look at Kirishima, not missing the relief that washed over the gourd's face when he said this. Asami knew that he was in need of a break since he had been working non-stop in his office for the last two days, trying to find something to distract himself from all of the thoughts had recently been going through his head. Of course no matter how much it was that Asami worked, nothing he did helped, if anything the more he worked and the less he slept the worse everything was for him when it came to him having to take the pills which he already hated so much.

"Shall I plan on taking you straight home then?" Kirishima asked, giving a small bow when Asami got out of his chair.

"Yes." Asami replied as he moved to step around the guard to open the door for himself without allowing the other a chance to do, Asami felt the need for fresh air and would prefer to get it as quickly as possible if he could.

Asami was rather surprised though to come face to face with Takato the moment that he opened the office door, and with one look at the other's face it was easy to see that he wasn't happy about something. Kirishima was about ready to move in front of Asami to protect himself from the boy, however Asami stopped the other by simple holding up his hand.

"For what reason am I receiving this visit?" Asami questioned as he looked at Takato who's fist were clenched at his sides, a high sign that he was having a really hard time trying to control the massive amount of anger that he was feeling.

"You bastard." Takato seethed, his right fist coming up and back, an obvious sign that he was getting ready to hit Asami, even the older man knew this, however when the other threw his first forward to connect with the fact of the other who stood a good couple of inches taller then him, Asami didn't move nor did he flinch. Asami wasn't even that surprised when the fist never made contact with his face, he knew that the boy in front of him didn't have the gall to hit him.

Takato lowered his fist and shut his eyes, obviously trying as hard as he could to control the anger that he was feeling.

"I want to take with you." Takato finally told Asami, opening his eyes and make direct eye contact with older man who looked rather amused by his bravery in doing such an action.

"You want to talk to me, and for what reason is it that I should hear you out?" Asami questioned as he stepped away from the boy, allowing for the other to enter the room as he made himself comfortable on the loveseat, he was itching to smoke, but he knew that with Kirishima in the room there was no hope for him to be able to do such a thing.

"You should hear me out because you hurt my friend who you made think you cared deeply about him." Takato replied as he entered the room, giving Kirishima glare that actually caused the guard to back up some.

"I did that did? "Asami questioned, as he looked at the other, though Takato didn't miss the way that the older man didn't make one hundred percent eye contact with him.

"Yeah, you really hurt Aki with everything you did, even yesterday you proceeded to break his heart further not even acknowledging him when he called your name it was obvious that you could easily hear him from where you were at. You know he cried for hours after you did that."

"Its his fault if he took the situation to mean more then just the simple relationship of a fosterer and a kid who needed a place to stay. I'm not responsible for any emotions he might've started to feel while staying with me, I was just simple doing my job."

"Fucking bullshit." Takato growled as he took heavy steps toward Asami, not stopping until he was standing directly in front of where the older man was seated. "Its obvious that in some way or another you lead him on, Aki isn't the type of person who falls in love with someone just because he sets his eyes on them. Aki's the type of kid who falls in love with someone who's showing something special, something special like the fact that they really care about him. I'm certain that you couldn't deny the fact that you'd be lying if you said that you don't feel something for him." Asami shut his eyes for a few seconds before opening them up again to look at the boy standing in front of him.

"The only thing that I have felt for Takaba in this whole situation, is the need to protect, a feeling that I always feel when someone has been put into my custody and it's my job to make sure that they feel safe and know that whatever happened to them in the past doesn't matter anymore."

"Then go there and say that to his face." Takato told Asami who actually looked slightly taken aback by the other's words. "Go there and see Aki face to face, tell him that you don't feel anything for him, tell him you don't care. Cause I swear to god if you don't do something to resolve this fucked up situation that you made Aki's never gonna be able to get over this, he's always gonna be stuck thinking about how you hurt him and not knowing what exactly it was that you left him." Takato didn't even flinch when Asami's eyes turned cold, all emotion leaving his face as he spoke.

"I cannot do such a thing, for the moment that the boy left my house, he was out of my care and I'm no longer allowed anywhere near them, getting into contact with them is even less allowed then that." Asami replied, causing Takato to let out a short laugh, a heavily irritated one by the sound of it.

"Well you had no problem coming over yesterday and just standing there, you didn't really seem to care about that rule all that much then, so I think you can afford to break it one more time in order to fix this problem you caused. It's either that or I'm going to end up brining Aki here to see you tomorrow." Asami didn't say anything as he kept a level glare on Takato who was pushing things much further then he really should've been. Somehow though Asami was finding that such a confrontation was exactly what he needed at the current moment in time, because the more he talked with Takato and the further things went the calmer he was starting to feel. "Aki needs to know exactly what is going on. He's really depressed right now and I'm worried that in his current state that he might end up doing something stupid." Asami glanced at Takato out of the corner of his eye as he looked at Kirishima making sure that the guard kept his mouth shut though it was obvious that he wanted to say something about the whole situation.

"The boy is on longer my responsibility, if he chooses to do something reckless, I'll not be taking responsibility for it."

"You will be if I sue you for mental trauma." The confidence in Takato's voice let Asami know that the boy wasn't joking one bit when he said this. "You were the one responsible for taking care of him and making sure that he fully recovered from what happened, if it turns out you actually did nothing more then make his situation worse, it would take nothing for me to get the proper proof and sue you over this."

"Do you honestly think that someone like you, a kid who's still in school can do anything to harm someone like me with a good reputation and money?" Asami questioned as he stood up, not surprised when Takato didn't back away from him.

"I can only try and see what happens, but I'm not going to allow my friend to continue to suffer like he currently is." Asami wouldn't deny the fact that he admired the confidence that Takato was showing in this whole situation, even though he was certain that the boy knew that there really wasn't much that he could against the older man.

"Do as you please then, just don't expect anything to come from what you try. I think our talk here is done, I have other more important things to attend to so I'd prefer if you'd leave before I have to call someone to kick you out." Asami told Takato as he made his way to the office door, prepared to leave so that Kirishima could take him home, after all of this he really did need a rest, even if he didn't feel the need to anyone anymore.

"Fine then, I'll do whatever it'll take to get you two face to face again, you can lie all you want to me, but I can tell just by looking in your eyes that you really do care about Aki. I don't really know what it is that's holding you back from going and seeing him, but you need to make everything clear to him before things get out of hand." Asami didn't stop moving even when Takato told him this, even though the boy knew for a fact that the older man had heard exactly what it was that he had said. "Its obvious that Aki needs you and you need him! Don't avoid the situation." Takato shouted to Asami as the older man left the office, leaving Kirishima behind to lead the boy out, feeling that it would be better at the current moment in time to have Souh drive him home so that he didn't have to deal with any more emotions and questions being shoved in his face. Asami didn't know how much more he was going to be able to handle before he'd end up snapping over the whole situation.

Asami couldn't deny though that what Takato said was a true, because it was, no matter how much he wanted to deny it and say the boy who had come to see him was completely wrong with everything that he said, because he wasn't. Takato was not wrong in anything that he was saying, but no matter how much it was that Asami wanted to go and see the boy he couldn't, he just couldn't.

As Asami approached the car Souh bowed, not daring to say anything as he opened up the car door for the other. Asami just gave a nod of his head in response to this action before sliding into the vehicle.

Once the car door was closed, Asami rummaged through the small compartment that was placed near his seat, knowing for a fact that that was one place where he would indeed be able to find cigarettes, knowing that under no circumstances would Kirishima take them from there, because Asami was usually so distracted during a car ride that at most he would smoke one maybe two, which was a vast difference compared to what he usually smoked while he was working, thus there wasn't much danger of him lighting up.

Asami felt slightly more composed when the nicotine hit his system, allowing for him to relax that light amount thus making it easier for him to clear his head and think about everything on a completely different level then before. One thing that didn't change however was the fact that he still wasn't going to be able to and see Takaba.

Asami wanted to go and see the boy, even if it was just for five minutes to see how he was doing, he wanted to be able to do at least that everyday, but after the last phone call he ended up getting, he knew that doing such a thing wasn't going to be possible. As much as Asami was hurting the boy by what he was doing, he knew that he would only end up hurting him even more if he continued to try and see him even after being warned of what might happen if he didn't listen.

As much as he knew the boy was hurting over the misunderstanding that was between them, Asami wasn't going to be the one to fix that, not in any way shape or form was there anything that he could without risk that word would get around about it.

The first cigarette didn't last Asami very long before he quickly got to lighting the second one before the ride was even half over. His mind was now starting to move quicker then he'd have liked for it to, however the thoughts that he was currently thinking about were much easier to handle then the ones he was dealing with in the office, because at least with the boy he was dealing with now he hadn't completely fucked things up, or at least not to an unbearable point where it would come back to haunt him, not yet at least.

Asami like to think that Takaba was different, different from the other boy who didn't understand anything at all, who didn't realize that if things had kept going the way that they were going, he was going to be the one ending up laying on the floor dead in the place of his brother. That boy didn't understand that Asami was protecting, protecting him from something he was too blind to see. Though it was due to that one simple case that everything had changed, it was due to that that Asami as no longer allowed to have any contact with anyone he fostered after they left his care, because it would be much too easy for something of the sort to happen again. Asami didn't care about reputation, however those who he worked for did, which is why he was hardly able to keep anyone who was back at stable point for then two weeks after such, because there was no telling when something bad would happen. So Asami was forced to do as they said and even though he didn't think that Takaba was quite ready to leave his side, because he could easily tell that the boy still had some unresolved issues, just because he wasn't do anything that put him on that line, he had no reason to continue taking care of the boy, thus anything else that might've been wrong with him just ended up becoming his friends problem.

Asami put the second cigarette out, when he was only half done with it, not feeling the need for the nicotine in his system anymore, the car had come to a stop in front of the pent house and he knew that if he kept smoking anymore before he went inside it would only cause problems for him.

Asami still felt the strong urge to shoot someone, or something, but since the pills were starting to wear off, the urge wasn't so bad at the current moment in time, thus it wouldn't take that much for him to suppress it, that was as long as nothing ended up to trigger him into another mood. Asami didn't bother waiting for Souh to get out of the car as he opened his own door and stepped out, letting the guard know that he didn't need anything else and that he was safe to leave.

Asami knew that he needed some time alone, because it wouldn't take much to trigger him, and talking to people was most certainly going to be a very large trigger for him at the current moment in time, which is exactly why he went so far as to shut his cell phone completely off so that he didn't have to worry about anyone suddenly calling him.

Asami knew better then drinking tonight, with his current mind set, drinking wasn't going to do him any good, it, just like talking was going to do nothing more for him then push him towards that invisible edge that he was standing, the invisible edge that would lead to him snapping and doing something, something he wasn't even certain what it was.

So instead Asami just popped four sleeping pills and made his way into the room, not caring about a shower or changing his clothes, he didn't want to have the extra thinking time while he took care of those tasks, he just wanted to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

"Come on guys, I already told you that I'm doing perfectly fine." Takaba once again assured his friends who had been hovering around him all morning since he had gotten up and said that he was going to go and take a look at the job that was being offered.

"You can say what you want, but we're still going to worry about you, because you can do a good job faking things when you want to." Takato told his friend as he watched Takaba adjust his clothes in the mirror.

"Yeah Aki, after all you were just feeling down recently and we want to make sure that you're not just trying to push yourself." Kou chimed in, causing Takaba to turn around and smile at his friends.

"I know you're worried about me guys, but I'm really just getting over this whole matter, after all it's going to do me no good just to sit around this place and sulk over the ass." Takaba explained, walking past his friends in order to grab a comb to better fix his hair. "I need to get something to distract myself with so I don't just sit around here rotting without anything to do."

"Yeah, but there are other things you could do aside from getting yourself a job, I mean you could start going over our lesson notebooks so you can be somewhat caught up on what it is that we've been learning." Takato proposed.

"That isn't going to do me much good though when you guys have to go and leave for school again, because you're going to need to take those notebooks with you. I promise you guys that I'll be perfectly fine, and if the matter does end up becoming too much for me, I'll quit. Also it's not like where I'm going to be working at is that far away from here so you can always come and check on me if you're worried." Takato nodded his head lightly though there was still a frown on his face. He really wasn't all that in favor of Takaba taking the job, just simply because of everything that had been going on, but he knew that with his friends stubbornness, there was no way he was going to be able to stop him.

"Fine Aki, just remember to be back in time for lunch so that Kou can feed you well so you don't end up losing too much weight." Takato told Takaba as he hugged his friend, who laughed over what he just said.

"Come on, you know that with the way Kou feeds me I'm more likely to get fat sitting around here rather then losing too much weight from working. It'll be good for me to get some exercise."

"That might be true Aki, but all three of us here know that you could probably eat twice as much as I put on your plat without even thinking twice about it." Kou pointed out causing Takaba to blush lightly, knowing that what his friend said was true, Takaba however just couldn't bring himself to eat more then he was given because he felt bad enough for staying at their house as it was without doing anything for them.

"Yeah, but I don't feel right eating all that food you give me, because I'm not able to do anything to return the favor." Takaba replied as he glanced at his friends who were grinning at him.

"You should know by now that you do us more then enough of a favor just simply by eating all of that food, because we know that you're at least well taken care of. Besides that Kou loves to cook and you just give him an excuse to try new dishes." Takato ruffled his friend's hair, Takaba gave a good natured laugh even though he was bothered by the fact that he was going to have to fix it once again. "But as long as you're really doing fine and you're not just pushing yourself for our sake, then I think that it should be okay for you to take this job."

"I'm serious when I say I'm doing fine. I'm not allowing myself to think about that person anymore, because its not going to do me any good to worry myself over someone who doesn't even care about me. I need to move on with my life instead of sitting around because before I know it, I won't have done anything and by the time I do decided to do something, I'll have already lost so many good chances." Takaba replied.

"Aki, you shouldn't speak like that, it shows that Takato's been rubbing off on you too much recently." Kou told his friend, hugging him from behind to hide the smile on his face, knowing that Takato was more then likely glaring at him.

"Me rubbing off on him isn't a bad thing, it'll just make sure that he's that much more careful in life." Takato told Kou as he gave the other a playful glare.

"Alright you guys, I'm really starting to use up too much time here and if I'm not careful I'll end up missing my chance for an interview today."

"Can't you just wait until tomorrow then so we can spend today goofing off?" Kou questioned, trying to give Aki his best pleading look so that the other would say yes.

"Kou, we both know that if I end up giving into you now, you'll just try to put me off from doing it tomorrow too. Besides it's not like it's really going to take much away from our time hanging out together since I'll just be working in the morning. My shift isn't going to be that long if I take the right one so before you now it, I'll already be back."

Kou nodded his head at what his friend said though it was quite obvious that he was still pouting over the whole matter.

"Fine then I guess that means we better send you on your way so you'll come back sooner rather then later." Takato sighed as he started ushering Takaba out of the room so that he could be on his way.

Takaba was finally allowed to leave the house after he had been once again lectured by both of his friends to be very careful and after the had, well mostly Kou, assaulted him with a number of hugs.

Takaba had to admit that he felt rather strange stepping outside, because it was the first time he had been out and about since he had come to stay with his friends, sure he had gone outside to get some fresh air, but he had actually gone off the porch or faraway from the house when he had done this, now though he was actually going someplace that would be taking out of seeing distance from his comfort zone.

Since it was his first time being back out and about again, Takaba made sure that he was very aware of everything around him and of every person that he passed by, because he really didn't want to end up putting himself in another bad position, because this time he was certain that Asami wouldn't be there to save him if something did end up happening.

After about ten minutes of walking and nothing bad happening, Takaba found himself relaxing slightly, not totally letting his guard down, but rather allowing himself not to feel so tense over the fact that no one had tried to mug him yet. It also helped Takaba quite a bit to know that he wasn't that faraway from the place where he'd be working at, for it seemed like it was only a twenty minute walk for Takato's place to get to where it was that he'd be working at.

Takaba was right as far as time went, and was rather surprised when he found himself standing in front of a rather small looking building that looked rather old and somewhat worn down. reaching into his pocket Takaba pulled out the piece of paper and looked it over once jus to make sure that he was indeed at the right place and that he hadn't ended up messing up.

Takaba looked over the paper at least three times before he felt confident over the fact that he was indeed standing in front of the right place. Putting the piece of paper back in his pocket, he made his way over to the entrance of the store.

Takaba stared blankly at the door for a few moments before taking a deep breath as he got ready to grab the door handle, telling himself that it wasn't going to do him any good to just stand there wasting time, otherwise he would really end up missing his chance to get the job.

Takaba felt slightly more relaxed when he entered the small building, his presence be given away to anyone who was inside by the little chime of the bell at the top of the door, the reason why Takaba felt more relaxed as because the first person that he came face to face with when he entered the building was a little old man sitting behind a counter looking trough a news paper, once he made eye contact with Takaba however he lowered the news paper to give the boy a kind smile.

"And what might it be that I can do for you sonny?" the old man questioned as Takaba approached the front counter, a smile on his own face.

"I saw that add in the news paper that said you were looking to hire new workers, and was wondering if it'd be possible for me to get the morning shift working here?" Takaba questioned as the old man looked him up and down, more then likely trying to see if he'd be able to do the job.

"I indeed could use some more works, because currently there is only one other kind young man who has come here to offer his services and help this one here to keep business going. If you think that you can handle the job without any problems then I'm willing to hire you." Takaba was about give his response, however before he got that far, the bell at the front door chimed, signaling that someone else had just entered the building. "Speak of the devil, this was the kind young man that I was just telling you about. Yoh, come over here and introduce yourself." Yoh glanced at the older man and then Takaba once before coming over to do as he asked.

"My name is Yoh, I look forward to working here with you." Yoh told Takaba as he gave the other a bow, causing him to feel the need to do the same.

"My name is Takaba and I also look forward to working with you." Takaba replied, not missing the way Yoh looked at him as the other straightened up.

"Do me a favor Yoh and show this one around to the route that he'll be working on. He's planning on taking the morning route so you won't have to worry about that one anymore once he's familiar enough to do it on his own."

"I have no problem doing so." Yoh replied, giving the older man a small bow before turning his attention back to Takaba who was looking at him inquisitively. "Come along then and I'll show you where you'll be dropping things off every morning." Takaba did nothing more then nod his head when he once again saw that strange look in Yoh's eyes. Takaba wouldn't quite say that it was a bad look the other was giving him, it was just one of mixed emotions that Takaba couldn't quite read.

Takaba didn't say anything as he followed Yoh outside of the shop, and still he didn't speak until the other turned to fully face him.

"Since you'll be taking this rout over from me, I'll be in charge of making sure that you do a good job with it and also make sure that you become familiar with it. It's a rather short route so it won't take you very long to complete it." Yoh explained, watching, as Takaba did nothing more then stare at him while he explained this.

"Thank you for taking the time to do this for me." Takaba told Yoh, once it was obvious that the other wasn't going to say anything else.

"I'm only doing what is part of my job to do, nothing more then that, so if you'd follow me." Takaba did feel rather comfortable around Yoh, the only problem he had with the other was the fact that he seemed rather distant and cold, other then that, Yoh seemed like someone Takaba could come to like, and possible even trust if he didn't do anything.

Takaba followed behind Yoh quietly as the other showed him the route and explained to him what housed he'd be doing in which order, and what to do if any packages or such needed to be signed for. Yoh was right though when he said that the route was rather short, though it did take him further away from Takato's house, which made him slightly more nervous, then he'd have liked to been.

"This is where the route ends." Yoh brought Takaba out of his thoughts with these words.

"So you can see for yourself that the route you'll be tending to really isn't that long, it's just a matter of making sure that you're paying attention to what it is that you're doing."

"I want to thank you again for taking the time to show me through all of this." Takaba once again repeated as Yoh stared at him with a rather blank expression on his face.

"It's no trouble to do such a thing, after all, it's my job to make sure that work keeps going as smoothly as it has been considering I've been the only one on this job for quite a long time."

"I suppose that's true." Takaba replied giving a slightly nervous laugh as silence came over the two of them once again. "Well I suppose if that is all there is to be showing me I better retrace this place and make sure I remember exactly which order I'm supposed to be doing everything in." Takaba told Yoh as he turned to get ready to leave, knowing for a fact that he wasn't going to be able to handle the silence for much longer.

"Takaba." Takaba froze the moment that he heard Yoh say his name in a rather soft tone of voice, different from the monotone voice he had been talked to in thus far, the tone that Yoh had now used held an emotion that Takaba couldn't quite read. "I suggest that since you're so new to this job, that you be extra careful, some find it difficult to get used to this kind of job due to the unknown dangers that lurk around in these areas. It'd be best if you keep a sharp eye out around you." Takaba felt a slight shiver go up his spine when Yoh said those words to him, did the other know somethin that he wasn't telling the boy, or was it a simple warning and Takaba was reading too far into it? either way Takaba wasn't all that comfortable with the way that Yoh had just spoke to him.

"th-thanks, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Takaba replied, turning to give Yoh one last smile before heading back the way that they had just came in order to get himself used to the track.

"Such an innocent boy." Yoh sighed to himself as he watched Takaba's departing back, he knew that he was doing exactly has he had been told to, but a certain side still couldn't help but feel guilty for what he knew was going to happen to the boy. "I do hope that you know that you're doing, you better not come to regret this once everything has passed." Once Yoh could no longer see Takaba's back he too turned to get ready to leave, though he actually had a pressing reason to suddenly need to leave, for there was someone that he needed to go and speak with before things got much further.

Takaba had made himself go over the whole route three times back and forth just to make sure he knew what it was that he was doing, because he knew that it wouldn't do him much good to get in trouble his first day on the job, not just for him, but also for Yoh since he was the one who had taken the time to show him what it was that he was going to be doing and in what order he was going to be doing it in.

So after going back and forth for those three times Takaba felt fairly confident that he wasn't going to have all that much trouble remember the route that he was going to be taking, thought just to be sure that he wouldn't, he wrote down the numbers and in which order he was to take care of them in.

Now that he was on his way home, Takaba felt much more relaxed then he had leaving Takato's house, because at least now he knew that it wasn't going to be that long before he was going to be seeing his friends again, or at least that was what he was thinking.

It wasn't until he was about half way back to the house that he started to have the heavy feeling that someone was following him. Takaba couldn't tell who the person was; no did he see anyone that was near enough to be possible stalking him, but the feeling was rather unnerving, even more so simply because Takaba couldn't see anyone that was following.

Or at least Takaba couldn't see anyone until he made his way to the outside part of the street, it wasn't until he had done this, that a much too familiar vehicle stopped right in front of him.

Just the mere sight of the thing was enough to take the boy's breath away, even more so due to the fact that he wasn't quite certain if the person he was hoping for was inside said vehicle or not, however Takaba's hopes were quickly crushed when Kirishima stepped out of the vehicle and moved around to open the limousine door that Takaba was nearest to, Kirishima bowed when he did this and didn't even bother saying a single word to Takaba.

It was quite obvious to Takaba by the way that the other who was standing before him was acting, and by the fact that there was no voice reprimanding him over the fact that he was taking too long to get in. Takaba knew that he was taking much too long of a time just looking at the limousine, because Kirishima actually spoke to him, probably because it was really starting to look like Takaba wasn't even going to think twice about getting inside of the vehicle in front of him.

"Please Takaba, I ask that you get in the vehicle, it's for your own good that you just do as I say without asking why." Takaba stared at Kirishima questioning, for Kirishima hadn't done anything thus far to make Takaba feel as though he could trust him.

Though the problem that he was having the most troubles with was the fact that he didn't know if the other was planning on taking him to see Asami. Takaba did however know that even if he didn't like the answer, that it would just be best to go with the other and see what it was that he wanted. Takaba took one last look at Kirishima before giving a small nod of his head and stepping inside the limousine and allowing Kirishima to close the door behind him.

After the door close Takaba had no choice, but to relax and see what would happening to him, he had chosen to do this himself, so if anything bad did end up happening, he knew that it was just going to be his fault.


	26. Chapter 26

One, two, three. The shots rang through the pent house, deafening and drowning out any noise aside from the sound they made. Anyone who was three floors below the pent house would've been able to hear the shots, however since it was a rather normal occurrence and pretty much anyone who lived below the pent house knew exactly who Asami was, nothing was ever mentioned about the noises that were heard coming from his house.

Asami flopped down onto the loveseat, his arm still shaking from the way that he held the gun as he fired it. Setting the gun down on the low table in front of him, he reached into his front breast pocket and pulled out his box of cigarettes. Staring at the wall where the bullets had just hit, Asami proceeded to pull the last cigarette out of the box that he held before placing the box down on the table and pulling out his lighter so that he could light the thing.

Asami shut his eyes as he slowly inhaled the nicotine, relaxing a slight amount as he felt his body start to relax under the affects of the poison.

Empty bottles of various kinds of alcohol littered the floor, as did the glasses Asami had used and broken while drinking the contents of the bottles. They of course weren't the only things that lay broken on the floor. His once very treasured and useful cell phone also lay on the ground in too many pieces to count. Asami hadn't had the patience to figure out and remember how to shut the thing off while he was busy drinking, so instead he opted for killing the thing by smashing it, thus stopping the annoying ringing which he knew as due to Kirishima trying to get in contact with him.

It was no surprise that the glasses wearing body guard wanted to get in contact with Asami, after all it had been two days since the older man had been into the office to work, and he hadn't mentioned anything to Kirishima about taking a break. Asami was very certain over the fact that if it wasn't for his steadfast rule that no one, absolutely no one was to bother him when he locked himself up in his penthouse to take some alone time, that Kirishima would be at his door from dawn until dusk attempting to get Asami to come out or let the other come in.

Asami of course needed alone time though, especially when he felt the need to shot off his gun, because he knew for a fact with the mood that he was currently in it wouldn't take al that much to make him snap, and if such a thing did happen someone would more then likely end up dead.

That was one of the things that Asami really hated about himself, his lack there of self-control when his mood started going down hill. Asami had tried all sorts of things to stop himself from completely caving and becoming a person that wasn't safe for anyone to be around, but it didn't matter what he did, because the problem never was resolved.

Though that wasn't entirely true, for Asami knew for a fact that the entire time that Takaba was staying in his house, not once had he felt the urge to grab his gun and shot it off, nor had he felt himself spiraling down that downward slope that always ended with anyone who was staying with him to have to go someplace else for a few days in order to make sure he didn't end up hurting them.

That was part of the reason why Asami wasn't allowed to keep others with him for too long, the kids were already hurt and scared, if he ended up snapping while they were there, it would only proceed to worsen the condition they were in, and that would end up putting bad credits on Asami's name, which meant that he'd more then likely not have any more kids given to him, because they'd label him as dangerous.

Had it been any other job Asami wouldn't have cared if he lost it, was labeled dangerous, or even spit at, because he didn't care what it was that people thought about him. Asami only put up with everything that he did because those kids he took in needed help, and while there were most certainly others who could help to take care of them, Asami was proven as one of the best therapists around, even if he did happen to have his odd quirks.

Asami allowed for the cigarette to sit in his mouth for about ten minutes before he stubbed the thing out and got up again, he knew that he didn't have the time to wasting sitting around and doing nothing, he still had work he needed to get done even if he wasn't going into the office to work there. Asami still had his laptop, and on that thing he had twice as much work to take care of then he did in his office, because the work that he wasn't doing in his office he knew that he could rely on Kirishima to take care of for him.

It wasn't until Asami was in his office and sitting at his desk that he came to realize he made a terrible mistake when he broke his cell phone without thinking about what he was doing. Without his cell phone, it was almost completely impossible for Asami to get in contact with the office he worked for, unless of course he sent them an email letting them know his current situation, even then though that wouldn't guarantee that he'd be able to get in to talk with anyone about the matter.

Despite the pain that the mistake he had made was going to cause him, Asami didn't really care all that much, because he was still dealing with the mixed affects of alcohol and nicotine, plus the pills that he had been forced to keep taking in order to make sure he didn't go completely out of control. All of these things mixed together to create a very laid back and unfazed Asami, the type of person who didn't allow anything to bother him, or if it did bother him then it wasn't noticeable by the expression that he wore on his face.

Shaking his head Asami allowed for himself to come back to reality as he tried to focus on the work that he needed to get done before it got much later. Asami was hoping that if he managed to get some better sleep tonight that he might be able to handle going back to the office without feeling the needed to break the rules that had been set before him.

Kirishima of course wasn't helping him at all in this matter, because the bodyguard was strongly encouraging him to break the rules that he had agreed to follow after the last incident he caused. Asami though couldn't break the rules, the repercussion that would follow doing such a thing wouldn't just affect him, but they'd also affect Takaba because he'd more then likely be forced to move from where he is currently staying at that way Asami wouldn't be able to go and see him whenever he liked. Asami could say for a sure fact that Takaba didn't need that kind of stress and trauma after everything else he had already been through, thus it was Asami's job to make sure that he didn't get too close to the boy so he didn't end up forcing the other to go through that.

Ten minutes after sitting in front of his laptop, Asami's concentration was already gone and he knew that no matter how hard he tried to do the work that was in front of him, there was on way he was going to be able to.

The one thing that Asami knew might be able to help him focus he didn't have, for he had just used his last cigarette before came into the office, and he didn't really have the energy or patience to go out and fetch himself some more, that was much more trouble then he felt up to dealing with in his current mood.

So instead Asami decided that he'd keep himself entertained for a short while, with seeing how his business outside of his normal job was doing. Asami knew for a fact that by doing such he'd at least be able to find a small distraction for a short amount of time because there was a lot he had to do there.

The amount of money that Asami had handed off to Feilong turned out to be more detriment then he had first thought it was going to be. Certainly Asami did have a lot of money at his disposal to spend, however, his business had slowed down quite a bit since he had taken in Takaba and that meant that he wasn't making as much money as he used to be. That wasn't much of a problem to Asami, except for the fact that he needed money in order to keep his job, because while he was paid to do what he did, he also needed to pay in order to keep the job that he had.

Though going through his business and catching up on what was going on with him only served as a small distraction before he found himself once again itching to do something else, something that didn't just require him to sit in front of his computer, something that didn't require him to just sit around in an office all day and stare at paper work or deal with noisy and annoyingly stubborn clients who didn't understand what he was saying all that well, nor did they seem to care about exactly who it was. Asami was certain that he'd have killed a fairly large amount of them, if it wasn't for Kirishima who made sure he stayed in check and didn't have to deal with too much of the garbage they tried to give him.

Shutting the lid of his laptop Asami leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, with the way things were going there was no way he was going to be able to get much sleep before the end of the night, not with how edge he was currently feeling.

Of course Asami's solution to the problem at hand lay in the kitchen among the clutter that he had as of yet to clean up, there he knew he'd be able to find some temporary relaxation even if he didn't manage to get any sleep.

Takaba frowned as he held the phone to his ear, each passing second made him feel that much more edge as the dial tone continued to ring without any sign that the person on the other end of the phone was planning on answering any time soon. Takaba shut the cell phone and put it down on the table when it was obvious he wasn't going to get through due to the fact that he hit voice mail once again.

"It appears that he really doesn't want anyone to bother him right now." Takaba told Kirishima as he shifted uncomfortable in his seat the other stared at him. Takaba broke the eye contact as he took a small sip from the mocha late that was in front of him.

Aside from Kirishima wanting him to try and call Asami using the guard's cell phone, Takaba wasn't all that certain as to why it was that Kirishima wanted to speak with him, because the other had yet to tell him.

"It has been two days now since anyone has been able to get in contact with him. Its quiet normal for him every now and again to lose contact with us and shut himself up in the pent house, and under normal circumstance I'd leave him be, however his mood recently hasn't been that good. While I don't think that he'd end up doing anything that would put his life in danger, I am looking for a way to get in contact with him." Kirishima explained as he took a sip from the tea in front of him.

"And why does this have anything to do with me?" Takaba questioned, glaring at the guard out of the corner of his eye. "Asami dropped me, so why should whatever is going on with him matter to me?" Kirishima sighed softly when Takaba asked this question, he fixed the boy with a hard gaze as he adjusted the glasses on the edge of his nose.

"You might now show it, but you cannot hide from the fact that you still have feelings for Asami despite what he did to you." Kirishima didn't miss the light way that Takaba winced when he said this, the boy did indeed do a good job of trying to hide the fact that he was rather eager to get the chance to call Asami. However after working for Asami for so long, Kirishima had learned to read even the slightest show of emotion very well.

"After that bastard left me I dropped all the feelings I have for him, it's not like caring about him is going to do me any good." Takaba replied, his glaring dropping as he picked up his glass and stared inside of it, hoping that Kirishima wouldn't pick up on the hurt look that was currently on his face. Takaba knew he could try to deny and hide it all he wanted, hut the truth of the matter was, that no matter how hard he tried not to think about Asami, he just couldn't keep his mind off of the older man for long before he found his thoughts wandering back to the other.

"Takaba I know that you're severely hurt by what Asami did, even more so by the fact that he hasn't even tried to make contact with you after he left, but let me assure if Asami had a choice in this matter, he wouldn't' have even left you with your friends, However in his current position Asami has no choice but to not get in contact with you."

"So what you're trying to make me believe is that despite the fact that he had no problem taking care of me for so long, that for some reason other he suddenly had to drop me without even taking the time to explain the situation to me?" Takaba questioned, his temper starting to slowly flare.

"Asami has bosses that he has to listen to. I'm certain that he has told you about the situation that happened with Feilong?" Kirishima questioned,

"He told me that he took care of Feilong and that something or other happened, but I don't know the exact situation or story around it." Takaba replied. Kirishima wasn't actually all that surprised that Asami hadn't taken the time to explain what had happened to the boy, after all with what Feilong had done to Takaba, he knew that it would just mess with the other's mind to tell him something so soon after getting the other away from Feilong.

"Asami did indeed take care of Feilong for a certain amount of time, because Feilong had a brother who was taking care of him in the wrong kind of way. Feilong was being abused by his brother and due to the way that his brother had messed with his mind, Feilong didn't understand that what the other was doing to him was wrong and that it wasn't safe for him to say with his older brother any longer." Kirishima explained, pausing so that Takaba could take in what he had just been told. "Of course Asami tried his hardest to get through and make the cold and aloof Feilong understand why exactly it was he needed to stay away from the brother that he loved so much. Feilong of course didn't really understand this, and one thing lead to another before Feilong decided that he no longer wanted to stay with Asami and decided that it would be safe to go back to living with his brother who he thought cared so much about him."

"And what happened after that, why does Feilong not seem to like Asami?" "Takaba questioned when Kirishima remained quite longer then he wanted the other to.

"The reason why things between them suddenly became so bad has to do with the fact that Asami killed Feilong's brother." Kirishima replied, not missing the stunned look that passed over Takaba's face when he was told this. "Feilong hates Asami for opening his eyes, he hates Asami for the fact that if he hadn't tried to get between him and his brother nothing would've changed, his brother wouldn't currently be dead and he wouldn't have come to realize that Asami was right when he said that the kind of relationship that he and his brother had wasn't normal. The thing that Feilong hates Asami most for though is because he thinks that by opening his eyes, Asami took everything away that he had, Feilong doesn't seem to understand that what Asami was doing was trying to protect him, protect him from his brother who would've more then likely killed him if things kept going the way that they were."

"So, Asami killed Feilong's brother in order to protect the other so he didn't end up being the one dead?" Takaba questioned, his tone rather shaky as he waited for Kirishima to reply to his question.

"That is correct, Feilong was one of the first kids that Asami took in and one of the first few that Asami got really attached to, mainly due to the fact that Asami saw himself quite a bit in the way that Feilong acted when they first met, and because of that, Asami was certain that he could help Feilong out and make sure that he didn't turn out the same way Asami did. However, due to the fact that Feilong went back to his brother, everything went down hill from there and Feilong didn't want anything to do with Asami after that incident. Thus Asami was left with no choice but to completely break off ties with Feilong and leave the other to himself despite the fact that Asami still wished to help him."

"Then the reason why Asami dropped me off was because…?" Takaba trailed off, waiting for Kirishima to give him the answer that he was certain he already knew.

"Asami almost lost his job over what happened with Feilong, not just because he was stepping out of bounds by going back after the other after he left, not just for killing Feilong's brother, but also because he went rather out of control in his way of handling the matter. Asami disobeyed what he was told to do and acted on his own without listening to what his bosses were telling him. Asami wasn't concerned with that though, the only thing that he was worried about was making sure that Feilong was safe, he didn't care what he had to do to make sure he knew how the other was, and because of that he was deemed as dangerous because he almost caused a huge incident after he killed Feilong's brother, because Feilong just about snapped right then and there after seeing his own brother killed right in front of him." Takaba felt his throat tighten when Kirishima finished speaking, because images of watching his family be killed right in front of him flashed before his eyes causing a heavy chill to run down his spine. "The reason why Asami left you was because he had to compromise in order to keep his job, he agreed to only keep the kids that were given to him, and in return he'd only keep them for a set amount of time before handing them over or letting them go if they were good enough on their own. That is what happened with you, Asami had to fight as it was to keep you for long as he did, not to mention the fact that he once again broke the rules by going to pick you up when Feilong had you." Kirishima explained. Takaba looked down at his glass when it was obvious that Kirishima was completely done talking to him.

Takaba wasn't all that certain what to think about what he had just been told, it was now obvious to him that Asami had more then likely not left him because he had wanted to, but that didn't explain to Takaba why exactly the older man was willing to go so far to keep him for as long as he did, yet drop him the moment that it seemed convenient to him, why couldn't Asami fight that much harder to keep him like he did in the start, especially after everything he had caused Takaba to feel.

"I understand what it is that you're trying to tell me in this, but if all of that is true, then there isn't anything I can do in this matter if I'm supposed to not go near Asami." Takaba told Kirishima as he slowly stood up from the table. "As much as I might want to help in this matter, it seems to me that if I try to involve myself that I'd more then likely end up causing more problems then good by doing such a thing."

"I want you to reconsider what you're saying Takaba." Kirishima told the boy as he grabbed the other's arm, stopping him before he had a chance to walk away from the table, "It would seem to me that you don't quite seem to understand what exactly it is that I'm trying to tell you, just because Asami mightn't be able to make any kind of contact with you, that doesn't mean you can't go and see him, after all you're the one who's making the decision to do such a thing." Takaba froze the moment that Kirishima told him this, Takaba was already fairly certain that that was the point that Kirishima was trying to make to him, the only problem was that Takaba was fairly certain over the fact that even if he did try his hardest to prepare himself, he wouldn't be able to handle going to see Asami in his current condition, not after it hadn't been that long since the older man had left him.

"I-I can't do that." Takaba told Kirishima as he slowly pulled his hand away from the other, not turning to face the guard as he continued to speak. "I know- I understand that I'm safe to go and see him whenever I want to, but after everything that has happened, I still think that it's best if I keep myself away from him if possible. After all it seems that Feilong also has a strong interest in me, thus I'd only be causing problems for Asami by allowing myself to be so near to him while know that Feilong might choose to target me again for doing such a thing." Kirishima remained quite as he stared at Takaba for quite some time, he knew what it was that the boy was trying to say, and he was certain he knew the other's reason for saying what he was saying, but the whole situation was exceedingly irritating for Kirishima, because of the fact that the one person he was certain would be able to help Asami get back on his feet was backing out of a chance to go and see him, something that Kirishima hadn't expected the boy to do. Kirishima was certain that Takaba would be pleased to get the chance to talk to Asami face to face, even if it was to do nothing more then yell at the older man for leaving him and try to make the other tell him why he had done such a thing, Kirishima hadn't even thought about what to do if Takaba said that he didn't want to go and see Asami even though he had a very good chance to do.

"Very well, I won't push you about this matter anymore because it's quite obvious where exactly you stand, however I do hope that you'll think about everything that I just told you and maybe at some point in time reconsider the decision you have made. I thank you for giving me some of your time." Takaba took a step back when Kirishima suddenly bowed to him. Takaba didn't like that type of thing and with the situation that he was dealing with it just caused him to feel very uncomfortable.

"I'll think about the decision I have made, but don't expect it to change any time soon." Takaba told Kirishima, glancing at the guard once more, before leaving the café, certain that if he stuck around for much longer that the resolve he was trying so hard to keep would break and he'd more then likely all but beg Kirishima to allow him to go and visit Asami even if he wouldn't be able to handling seeing the older man.

Kirishima sighed as he watched Takaba walk away, he once again found himself being left on his own to think of a way to get his boss out of his current mood. Kirishima couldn't help but feel that there was something important that he was missing as the boy walked away, something felt wrong and he wasn't certain what exactly it was, but with his senses being mainly on Asami and being so worried about the other, Kirishima was concerned that the bad feeling he was getting was coming from the fact that he had been away from Asami for too long.

Once Takaba was out of sight Kirishima proceeded to leave the café and get into the limousine, as much as he wanted to check on Asami he knew that it wouldn't be that good of a thing to do, thus he was left with no choice but to head back to the office for the time being and burry himself in the work that Asami was currently not taking care of.


	27. Chapter 27

Takaba was thankful to his friends for not asking him where he had gone, even though they both knew that it shouldn't have taken him that long just to have an interview and see what his route was going to be.

Kou was surprisingly more worried about Takaba then Takato, and the only reason why Takato wasn't quite as worried as his other friend only had to do with the fact that Takaba still seemed in a rather good mood and it didn't appear as though anything had happened that would bother him.

Takaba had come back in to have lunch with his friends and as far as eating went his appetite wasn't lacking at all, in fact he actually ended up eating twice as much as he had been eating. Kou was suspicious over this, but Takato just figured that it was because of what they had told their friend that morning before he had left for work.

"So it really isn't going to take that long for me to get the entire route done." Takaba told his friends after they had finished lunch and were just sitting around and watching TV. "And the person there who showed me the route I'm going to be taking care of is really nice, he names Yoh and he happens to be the only other worker there currently, seems like he was in charge of all the routes."

"How old is this other worker?" Takato questioned as he glanced to his friend, who really did seem pleased about the job that he had gotten.

"He's around my age, probably about three years older then me. He's a bit on the quiet side but not taking much isn't a problem."

"What about the boss of the place?" Kou piped in as he rolled onto his back in order to look at his friend's face while he gave a reply.

"He's a kindly old man who just seems to be trying to find someone who's willing to help keep the small business afloat. He pays a good amount of money to those he hires to work there, but I'm not certain with the way the whole place looks if he really should be paying us so much for the little bit of work we are doing."

"Well maybe he's just old fashion and doesn't really want to waste the money on getting the place renovated, you know how the old timers can be." Kou suggested as he turned his attention back to the television once a show that he really happened to like came on.

"Maybe, but I'm kinda getting the feeling that that wasn't the case. It seems more like since Yoh was the only other person working there, he feels like he can use a little more money then he probably makes so that Yoh isn't the only one doing the work."

"Don't worry too much about if he has enough money to hire you or not, just remember that you're also trying to make money so as long as he feels like he can pay you, don't worry about how much he has, after all you're going to be helping him to make some." Takaba knew that Takato was right in what he was saying, he just didn't want to be getting paid too much for the work he was doing.

Just as Takaba was getting ready to open his mouth and say something his cell phone buzzed in his pocket, a sign that someone had just sent him a message. Reaching into his pocket he pulled the phone out, flipping it up, he went to his message section and clicked the newest, the one thing that he didn't like about his current cell phone was the fact that you never knew who was sending you a message until you actually opened it and it then showed the sender. Takaba frowned and furrowed his brow at the picture he saw, it was of him and Yoh standing right outside of the little post office like building that he had just started working at. It was obvious that whoever took the photo was focusing on him because it was taken so that Yoh was more towards the back of the picture.

Scrolling down Takaba became even more confused by the caption that was at the bottom of the message. 'what a pleasant surprise to see you again, on your own at that.'

"What's up?" Kou questioned when he noticed the way that his friend was staring at his cell phone, this snapped Takaba out of his thoughts as he quickly deleted the message.

"Oh nothing, it just seems that someone accidentally messaged me." Takaba replied as he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket once he had deleted the photo.

"Was it anything offensive?" Takato questioned, causing Takaba to chuckle over how protective his friend was of him, knowing for a fact that if it did happen to be something offensive, Takato would track that person down and beat the crap out of them, even if it was an accident that his friend had seen what he hadn't meant to send him.

"Nah, it was just a fuzzy photo that I couldn't really make out, nothing dangerous." Takaba replied as he turned his attention back to the television hoping that his friend would do the same and not asking any more questions. Something was niggling in the back of Takaba's head that told him he should've know who had sent him the picture, but he couldn't think of who the person could've been.

Aside from Kou and Takato, Takaba didn't really have any friends that he'd regularly hang out with, or that he would've given his cell phone number to, for if it was someone like that then he'd have more then likely labeled the person' number like he had done with Kou and Takato's.

Sure he had Asami's cell phone number on his phone, but he was fairly certain it wasn't the older man's, because he knew his text number by heart, or at least he as fairly certain that he did, and if he did remember it correctly then it wasn't the same as the one who had just sent him the picture.

Takaba just reminded himself that, it was more then likely a mistake, possible that photo was meant for Yoh to see and not him and that he was possibly overreacting to the whole situation. Takaba knew that he was already very high strung about being out on his own and that he expected to be hyper sensitive to anything that seemed suspicious happening around him, but to not worry too much. Setting the matter to the side for the time being Takaba went back to watching what was on the television, figuring that he could deal with the whole matter tomorrow when he went to work.

The rest of the night went rather smoothly, dinner was tasty as always, he got to mess around with his friends for a bit, before it was time for him to get ready for sleep since he had to wake up a little earlier then he was used to. Takaba was thankful for the fact that his friends had helped him clear out the guest room because he knew that he was going to need a fairly good amount of sleep if he planned on making to work on time without an hitches.

Kirishima didn't say anything when Asami had called on a pay phone and requested that he come with the limousine to pick him up. Kirishima continued to remain silent when he was in Asami's presence, not wanting to say or possible do anything that could bother the other since it looked like his mood was still rather unstable.

Asami just nodded his head as he stepped into the limousine, knowing that he didn't have to say anything for Kirishima to know where to take him.

Asami wasn't doing all that much better as far as his mood went, but he knew that since he had broken his cell phone it wasn't going to do him much good to remain in his house for too much longer before someone was going to be sent for him.

Another one of the reasons why Asami decided that it was time to step outside of his house was due to the fact that he was completely out of cigarettes, and the fact that he was out of them was really starting to bother him. Not being able to smoke affected him badly in many different ways, ways, which would result him more, then likely having a meltdown if he went for more then two days without smoking.

Kirishima was aware of this fact and that was why he always made sure that his boss had and endless supply of them in the small compartment in the limousine, that way no matter where Asami had run out of them before he had gotten into the limousine, he'd have more then enough to sate his habit, or at least put him in a manageable mood.

"Schedule." Asami ordered the other once he had smoked two different cigarettes and had started his third, feeling as though he was going to be able to handle whatever work it was that his guard was going to toss at him. Kirishima hesitated for a few seconds, glanced in the rear view mirror just to make sure Asami was indeed serious what he had said before going over his boss's schedule, knowing that the other wasn't really going to be all that pleased to know everything that he was going to have to do.

"And, there is as a strange matter I was hoping to have you look into once we get to the office." These words caused Asami to put his full attention on Kirishima and away from the limousine window that he had just been looking out of. "I'm not certain if it is something that we need to worry too much about, but because it deals with Takaba, I figured that it would be a good idea if I mentioned something to you about the matter because it seems like it might also be something that involves you."

"What kind of matter is it that I'm going to be looking into?" Asami questioned, shifting in his seat so that his hands were resting in his lap. Kirishima felt better about the fact that it did indeed seem that Asami still held a high interest in Takaba and that he'd more then likely do anything that he needed to in order to protect the boy, more so then what he had already done.

"It's something that is rather difficult to explain and because I'm uncertain about the threat level of it, I was thinking that it was something that might be better to wait until we're inside your office to talk about." Asami stared at Kirishima for a few seconds before giving a small nod of his head.

"Very well, we shall wait until to speak more about this matter." Asami replied as he once again turned his attention to looking out the window, Kirishima was certain that by the look on his boss's face that there was only one person that the other was currently thinking so hard about.

Takaba was pleased thus far; he had managed to get up one time to leave for work, even if he did end up having to skip breakfast so he wouldn't end up being late on his first day to work.

On his way there nothing bad had happened, the only thing that had happened and Takaba considered it a good thing was that he had met Yoh about halfway there so the two of them were able to make the rest of the walk together, that alone helped Takaba to relax a certain amount.

Takaba purposely stalled for a few seconds outside of the building once they had reached their destination, just to make sure he didn't see anyone that looked suspicious or like they might be taking a picture of him, doing this got him an odd look from Yoh but he just smiled at the other before the two of them entered the building together.

Takaba made sure in his head to go over the whole route three times again as he made his way to the start of it, wanting to make sure that he wasn't going to end up making a mistake by being off on which house it was that he was supposed to start at.

Yoh had already left before it was time for him to start his route, so he couldn't ask the other to make sure he wasn't making a mistake, he just had to rely on his memory to help him.

Takaba has happy to find that the route was indeed as quick an easy to deal with as it had been the day before and anyone that he had to interact with were quite nice, though Takaba knew that that had to do with the fact that most of them were older and thought that he was rather cute, or so he presumed that was what they were thinking, at least the older ladies with the way they smiled at him while he handed them their packages.

Takaba wouldn't have had a problem if anyone of them were the ones who had sent him the photo, because he knew that they were just harmless old ladies, and that the worst they could possible do to him was to smoother him with attention, sure Takaba was a little shy about getting attention, but it was better then dealing with a stalker that really could be dangerous to him.

Takaba managed to finish the whole route in the time frame of half an hour and he as fairly certain by the time that he was done with it that he had gone to all of the houses in order because no one had complained about him giving them the wrong package.

Takaba was just on his way back to let his boss know that he had finished his route and that he'd be heading home unless there was anything else he could do in order to help out, however before he got that fair his cell phone started buzzing in his pocket. Takaba was of course figuring that it was either Kou or Takato checking on him to make sure that he was doing okay since it was his first day and all, and he had assured them that he'd message when he was on his way back.

This however didn't happen to be the case, the message that had been sent to him was sent by the same person who had sent him the text and picture the night before. Reading what was inside of the message did cause Takaba to feel a slight touch uneasy. 'It would seem that you were right outside my house without me noticing. I do apologize for not being able to come out and greet you. It was very rude of me.' So it would seem whoever was sending him the messages was someone that he was delivering packages to.

Takaba knew though that by the way that the message had been sent, it was more then likely not any of the older women he had met because they had all come to greet him.

Takaba frowned at the message for a few seconds before promptly deleting, for he saw no reason to keep the thing.

Putting his cell phone back in his pocket he proceeded to enter the building so that he could let his boss know that he was done working.

Takaba was rather surprised to see that Yoh was already back and apparently done with the alternate rout that he had been taking care of. Takaba knew that he shouldn't have been too surprised over this matter, even though the route that Yoh was now taking care of was twice as long as the one that Takaba was dealing with. However Takaba took into consideration the fact that Yoh had been doing the job quite a bit longer then he had been, so it was only natural for Yoh to know how to finish quickly.

Since Yoh was done with this work that meant that he and Takaba were once again able to walk home together, this of course helped Takaba to feel a lot better about what was going on.

Takaba once again found the silence between him and Yoh to be troublesome, for it caused him to feel rather uncomfortable, for while he was certain that the other didn't mind the silence that was between the two of them, it caused the younger of the two to feel as though it was his job to try and start a conversation between the two of them.

"So…" Takaba started out slowly, glancing over at Yoh in order to make sure that the other had heard him start to speak, the only acknowledgement that the other got was a slight glance, so he continued speaking. "What exactly was it that made you decide to get this kind of job?" Yoh was quite for a short while after the other had finished speaking, causing Takaba to maybe think that the other hadn't heard the question that he had asked.

"It wasn't so much a matter of it being a certain job of choice or anything, I just knew that this place was in need of some help and since I had some extra free time, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a part time job." Yoh replied, his voice somewhat low but still loud enough for Takaba to clearly hear what he was saying. "What was your reason for choosing to take the job?" Yoh then asked, surprising Takaba with the fact that he was actually saying more then just a few words to him.

"My main reason for choosing the job, was because it's rather close to where I live, so it doesn't take that long for me to get back and forth in the morning, plus it seemed relatively safe since there aren't too many people around the area." Takaba fidgeted with the left side pocket of his pants, certain that he had said something a little more then he should've and that more then likely Yoh was going to ask him why he was concerned about the amount of people who would be near or working in the same area as the job he had. Yoh however didn't ask that question, in fact after Takaba finished he once again had become quiet, seemingly distracted by something or other that was on his mind, the other didn't mind the silence so much this time around, but that was just due to the fact that he was close enough to being home that that alone was enough of a distraction for him.

Yoh stopped a few blocks away from Takato's house, making it quite obvious that he wasn't intending on going with Takaba any further, Takaba was getting ready to thank the other for walking as far with him as he had when his cell phone suddenly buzzed, a sign that he had just gotten a message of some sort. As Takaba pulled the phone out of his pocket, he missed the fact that Yoh was showing a rather large amount of interest in finding out what kind of message it was that Takaba had gotten, so much so that he had moved just that much closer to the other so that he had could see over the other boy's shoulder and see the message without the other knowing that he was doing so.

Takaba felt slightly more relieved to see that he message he had gotten was from Kirishima, rather then from whoever the person taking pictures of him was, his relief was short lived though, when at the bottom of the message, the other had informed him that he was going to be having pay a visit to Asami soon, that was if the older man kept acting the way that he currently was. Takaba felt the light shiver that went down his spine just at the mere thought of Asami, and that was enough to cause him to quickly shut his phone without a second glance at the message, for he knew that it would do him no good to act agitated at the current moment at time, especially since it was still so early and he was just getting ready to get back home, thus he couldn't worry his friends with something a small as a little text message he got.

Shoving the phone back into his pocket, Takaba quickly thanked Yoh, who nodded his head, not showing any sign of guilt over what it was that he had just been doing as he watched the other walk at a somewhat fast pace back to his home. Yoh watched until the boy had disappeared into the house, before he turned and started walking away, for there were other things that he needed to tend to.


	28. Chapter 28

Asami sighed as he lay in bed with a hangover, a fucking hangover. Asami most certainly had his times were he would indulge in a rather large amount of alcohol, the amount that would typical cause most normally people to be completely wasted, but didn't really affect the older man that much.  
>A hangover was something that Asami really didn't get all that often, and if he did end up getting one it meant that there was indeed something seriously wrong and he allowed for himself to consume over the limit of alcohol he knew he could tolerate. So if Asami ended up getting hung over, it usually meant that there was something serious going on.<br>The world knew, Asami's men even, hell even the older man knew himself to a certain point that a hung over Asami could be a very dangerous thing, especially since the older man hated having to deal with unnecessary pain. However said unnecessary pain didn't stop him from forcing himself up and out of bed despite the fact that it caused him to feel as though his head was going to explode.  
>The older man was in desperate need; though he himself would never say the word desperate in conjunction with his name, at least out loud to anyone else. The main point was that, Asami was in desperate need of a burning out shower and a frappuccino. The shower he could take care of himself, the drink however was something that one and only one person would be able to get for him.<br>However, it was going to be rather hard task to get into contact with said person considering the only available phone that he could use was in the living room, which was two rooms down from the one he was in and then down the stairs from there. He would've been able to use his cell phone had he not destroyed the thing in his past drunken state. Sighing heavily he shut his eyes as he tried to force himself to get the energy up in order to get out of bed to at least go and take a shower. For he was at least certain that if he could muster up enough energy to take a warm shower, then he would be able to muster up enough energy to be able to go down and get in contact with Kirishima.  
>Asami couldn't deny the fact that Kirishima was indeed a saint to him, for the man, no matter what it was that Asami put him through continued to stick with the older man even though he really didn't have much of a reason to do such a thing.<br>Certainly Asami was a man of power, however the guard didn't have much to benefit from the older man's current position, power meant nothing if the person who held such power didn't know how to use it, and with Asami being in the current state that he was in, he really wasn't in much of a position to use said power wisely, thus was the reason that his work was suffering.  
>In one fluid move Asami got himself up and out of bed, cursing softly under his breath when his head pounded in protest to his sudden quick movement, it was quite tempting to lay back down, however Asami forced himself up from the sitting position to a standing one. He was forced to stay still for a few seconds as his vision started to go black on him due to the sudden standing up motion. Shaking his head softly he made his way carefully towards the bathroom, hoping that he was right in thinking that a warm shower would help him get ready for the day he was planning, Kirishima just better be quick in answering when he called, otherwise the older man wasn't certain he was going to be able to make it for much longer.<br>Kirishima stared down at the key he held in his hand, it took him a lot of time and trouble to find said item, and now after all of that he was still battling with himself as to whether or not he should use the damn thing as he stood outside of Asami's pent house door.  
>The guard didn't really want to be disrespectful to the older man, for he was certain that Asami was only holding himself up in his pent house because he wanted some time along to think everything through, Kirishima didn't mind this, for he had gotten used to Asami doing things when things were rough. What the glasses wearing guard did mind was the fact that he currently had no way of getting in contact with Asami to see how the older man was doing, since it seemed that the other's cell phone was out of commission. Thankfully the guard was always prepared of this kind of situations and had make sure to keep an almost carbon copy of the one that he was certain that was destroyed, thus his boss wasn't missing any vital information.<br>Kirishima steeled himself as he got ready to stick the key in the keyhole, telling himself that it was better for the other to yell at him for suddenly unexpected barging in then it was for him to continue worrying about the fact that Asami could've possibly hurt himself. However just as Kirishima was getting ready to stick key in the keyhole his cell phone suddenly started ringing, successfully causing him to drop the key in his hand onto the ground as he fumbled for his cell phone which was lodged deeply in his pocket. He had hardly pressed the talk button and put the phone up to his ear before he started hearing the sound of Asami's voice, relief spread through him, even though it was quite obvious Asami wasn't in the best condition just simply by the sound of his voice.  
>"Kirishima, where are you currently at?" Asami questioned, his voice having a short rasp to it, which more then likely meant that the older man had probably gotten himself way too drunk.<br>"I am currently standing outside your door." Kirishima replied, being brutally honest, for he was much to relieved over the fact that Asami was okay to care about what the older man would say about his current positioning.  
>"I take it you have the spare key to the door? You'd be clever enough to find out where I hide it. If you do have it, get in here right now."<br>"As you command." Kirishima wasted no time in picking up the fallen key and inserting it into the keyhole, pleased to hear the click sound that let him know that he had indeed unlocked door.  
>He was expecting the inside of the house to be rather dark, for if Asami did indeed indulge in too much alcohol he more then likely was going to be suffering from a bad hangover, thus light in the house was something that he wasn't going to be able to handle. Even expecting the darkness it took his eyed a few moments to adjust to the dimness, meaning that he had to be carefully as he walked around for he still wasn't as familiar with Asami's house as he would've liked to have been.<br>"Over here." Asami told the other once Kirishima had entered the living room. The guard narrowed his eyes some and was able to make out the still figure of Asami sitting on the loveseat, his right hand covering his eyes, in an attempting to more then likely block out the small amount of light that remained in the room.  
>"Sir?" Kirishima questioned as he came to stand in front of the other while waiting to find out what it was that the older man had called him in for.<br>"Report, how has work been going since I've been gone?" Asami questioned, his voice low and rough, a sign that his mouth was more then likely parched for he probably hadn't taken the time to get up to get anything to drink in his current state.  
>"Things have been going fairly smoothly for the most part, there have been a few offers, not worth much of anything and they've been dealt with in the appropriately manner. Outside of that, you know who has been trying to get a hold of you for the last few hours, and of course without your cell phone they haven't been able to get in contact with you." Kirishima replied as he took the time to head to the kitchen and return with a glass so that Asami could sooth his parched throat.<br>"Have they been leaving any messages for me?" Asami questioned after he drain the entire glass in the matter of a few seconds.  
>"Two messages have been left, however I haven't taken the time to look at them. Though I did bring this with me." Kirishima told Asami as he held out the second cell phone for the other to take. Asami was slow in his movements when it came to taking the cell phone for he knew that he was still slightly disoriented from the hangover and things weren't going to be as close or as far away as he expected them to be, so last thing he needed to do was break the new cell phone that Kirishima had brought to him.<br>"And how has the boy been fairing." Asami questioned as he messed with the cell phone so that he could get into look at the messages that had been left for him, he was figuring that since they hadn't been trying to call h is main phone at all ,whatever it was that they wanted couldn't have been too important.  
>Kirishima was slightly taken aback by Asami suddenly asking about how Takaba was doing, for he was certain that the other wasn't going to be wanting to hear anything about the boy anymore, after all it seemed that the older man had been trying really hard to forget about the other, thus his strange method of locking himself up alone.<br>"He seems to be fairing well, it appears as though he has gotten himself a job that he's doing first thing in the morning, his friends are doing a good job of taking care of him and it would seem as though they managed to take him into possibly going back to school soon." Kirishima replied, Asami looked up at the other when it seemed that he was hesitating about something, probably something he was uncertain if he should tell the other.  
>"And?" Asami prompted as he went to look down at his cell phone.<br>"Well, there is one small thing that I am slightly worried about, and it would have to do with this person." Kirishima replied as he took a picture out of his pocket, Asami glanced down at the table and quickly dismissed what it was that Kirishima was showing him.  
>"There is nothing to worry about with that one." Asami replied as he put his cell phone up to his ear. "He has already been cleared more then once." Asami assured the other before becoming silent so that he could listen to the messages.<br>"And I take it that that also means you know who exactly he has ties with?" Kirishima questioned, causing Asami to once again look at him for it wasn't very often that the other pushed things with Asami.  
>"Who he has ties with?" Asami questioned, knowing what it was that the other was talking about, but wanting to hear what he had to say nonetheless.<br>"Yes, this man, has certain ties with someone I know that you don't wish for the boy to be around, are you aware of this?" Kirishima questioned, looking Asami straight in the eyes, something else that the guard rarely did unless he was very serious about something.  
>"Kirishima, I quite certain you know what exactly moles are, am I correct."<br>"If you are referring to the animals then yes, if you're referring to the underground meaning, then I do also know what that means." Kirishima replied, watching as Asami once again looked down at the picture in front of him.  
>"The ties that this man here has, I'm quite aware of, for I am in fact the one that approved for this man to be in contact with Liu Feilong." Kirishima looked slightly taken aback when Asami told him this. "You wouldn't of course be aware of said matter, for this happened when you were away on vacation." The older man continued to explain as he picked up the picture and put it into his pocket. "Yoh is his name as I'm sure you already know, he's a very capable and loyal man who I trust very much, he is not per say on our side, but he understands how important it is to keep an eye on Feilong due to how unhinged the other is, thus it's safe to say we will know if anything bad happens. I note your concern in this matter though and you shall be rewarded for your thoroughness." Asami told the other as he turned his attention again to cell phone as he got ready to delete the unnecessary messages on the device.<br>"Does this mean that I am allowed to choose any reward of my choice?" Kirishima questioned as he pushed his glasses up further on his face as Asami looked at him again, his head slightly tilted to the side.  
>"What kind of reward is it that you have in mind?" the older man questioned, quite aware of the fact that his most trusted man was up to something, what it was however he wasn't quite certain.<br>"Would you be willing to go with me to someplace, just for today?" Kirishima questioned, basically asking the other to go out with him, something that the other hadn't ever asked of his boss before.  
>"Are you asking me out on a date, is that what this is supposed to be?" Asami teased, making light of what the other was being quite serious about.<br>"IF that is what you wish to call it then such it is, however I'd be greatly indebted to you even more so then I already am if you'd be willing to go with me." Kirishima replied, again showing the other that he was being quite serious in what he was asking.  
>"Very well, I think that I can get away with humoring you for the day. Might I ask where it is that you wish to take me to?" Asami questioned as he got ready to stand up when Kirishima did the same thing.<br>"I would prefer if it is alright with you to keep the place of choice unstated." He replied as he waited for the older man to take the lead in front of him.  
>"Alright, I think that for the time being I can play along with you and wait to see where it is you're taking me to. Don't worry though I don't expect to be any place too fancy." Kirishima didn't seem to find the whole situation as amusing as the older man did, and that was simply due to the fact that he was only one aware of where exactly it was he was taking Asami to and what it was that he was planning, for he knew it was exactly what the older man needed in order to clear his head after what happened. He just had to hope that the other person involved in this situation wouldn't freak out too much at the sudden appearance, after all this wasn't something that Kirishima had talked with him about.<p> 


	29. Chapter 29

Takaba was lounging at Takato's house as he scanned through the TV channels in order to find something that might be able to distract him from everything that had been going on recently.  
>He was really enjoying the job that he had gotten himself, but the strange messages he kept getting on his phone made it difficult for him to feel comfortable going out unless he needed to, and his strange behavior was starting to make Takato suspect that something was up even though he was trying really hard to hide the fact that something was bothering.<br>Just as he had finally found something to distract his attention for a few moments his cell phone suddenly starts ringing, frowning he pulls it from his pocket curious to know who would be calling him considering Kou and Takato were still in the middle of their classes.  
>The phone number on the display didn't look familiar to him, but something told him that it would be a good idea to answer the phone.<br>"Hello?" Takaba questioned hesitantly as he put the phone up to his ear, not certain what to except.  
>"Ah, good you answered Takaba-san, I was starting to worry that you mightn't have received this call." It took the other a few seconds to realize that the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to none other then Kirishima, but why was the other suddenly calling him.<br>"Kirishima? Why're you calling me?" Takaba questioned as he sat up, new worry flooding through as he realized that the other might've been calling him because something had happened to Asami.  
>"I'm sorry if this is a but sudden for you but, do you have free time at the current moment that would allow for you to meet up with me?" Kirishima questioned, his voice saddening a bit distant like maybe he was whispering so that someone else wouldn't hear what he was saying.<br>"Sure… I do have some free time, but why do you suddenly want to meet up with, if this about Asami, can't we just-"  
>"Sorry, I don't have much time to talk at the current moment, I'll give the address and hope that you can meet me at said place in an hour, wear something reasonable." Takaba didn't have a chance to ask anything else before Kirishima gave him an address that he had to quickly memorize before suddenly hanging up.<br>Takaba frowned as he pulled the cell phone away from his ear, something was up, but what it was he wasn't certain. If he had to follow what his instincts were telling him then he was more then likely going to be meeting up with Asami, just the mere thought of seeing the older man again was enough to cause Takaba's heart rate to speed up. Looking at the clock he saw that he was already wasting quite a bit of time that he didn't have to waste by sitting there and worrying over what it was that he was going to be getting himself into. So what if he was right in thinking that the other wanted him to meet up with Asami? Then he'd just go there and deal with things as they happened, it wasn't like he couldn't handle himself in front of the older man.  
>Thinking that way meant that there was only one other thing that the boy had to worry about handling before he left, did he actually have anything decent that he could wear?"<p>

Asami was starting to become board as he sat inside the limousine waiting for Kirishima to return, the guard had told him that there was something that he had to attened to real quick and that it wouldn't take very long before he would be back, but if Asami read what his watch had said correctly, Kirishima had already been gone for ten minutes, and to Asami ten minutes was no small amount of time.  
>Just Asami sat up and was thinking about heading out of the limousine to see what exactly was taking Kirishima so long to return to him, the driver's door of said vehicle opened and said guard sat down and shut the door.<br>"What took so long, I thought that you said you were only going to be gone for a short period of time? I don't consider ten minutes 'short'." Kirishima could tell that by the tone of Asami's voice that he was only partly joking with the way that he was speaking.  
>"I apologize for taking so long, what I had to deal with took me much longer then I had expected it to. I do hope that you still feel up to heading out?" He questioned, adjusting the rear view mirror so that he could get a better look at the older man's face.<br>"I think that I still have some energy in me to handle things as long as there aren't any further interruptions." Asami replied as he pulled a cigarette out and lit it, inhaling deeply on the first puff of smoke and holding it for a short while before releasing it slowly. The medicine that Kirishima had given him for his headache had dulled the pain quite greatly though it didn't do much for the other symptoms that he was suffering from, such as the semi bad mood the whole thing had put him in. He was just severely hoping that whatever the other was dragging him out for was worth his time, otherwise he wasn't certain as to whether or not he'd be able to stop himself from snapping on the other.  
>Leaning back in his seat Asami shut his eyes as he decided that for the time being it would be best for him to just try and enjoy the ride and not think about too much else.<p>

Takaba glanced at his watch once again as he ran down the street, cursing himself in his head for taking such a damn long time in deciding what it was that he was going to wear, for he found that he didn't really have anything that looked that nice or at least that he felt would be good enough for him to be wearing if he was going to meet the older man.  
>His poor mind couldn't bring itself to agree on anything as the rational side told him that he hadn't care that much before about what the older man had thought about how he dressed or what he looked like in what he wore, however the irrational side that was acting like a teenage girl going out with her big crush told him that it really should matter what he wore, after all even if it was only a short while ago that he had last seen the older man, the other might've been expecting to see something impressive from the boy, thus it would be good to not disappoint the other.<br>In the end Takaba had to steal something from Takato's wardrobe because there wasn't really that much he wanted to wear of his stuff, he left a note apologize to the other for taking his clothes without asking even though he was fairly certain of the fact that his friend wasn't going to care much about what he took as much as he was going to care about where it was that he had run off to without telling them.  
>Just as he was getting ready to round the corner that would take him to being just a few blocks away from the place that Kirishima told him to go to, he came to a skidding stop when he came face to face with one of the last people he really wanted to be seeing at the current moment in time, the other person also seemed rather surprised to be seeing the boy so sudden, however his look of surprise didn't last long and soon turned into a smirk as the boy's look turned to one of uncertainty and fear as he took a step back from the other who acted mildly hurt by the other's action.<br>"Don't I at least deserve some kind of kind greeting after not meeting you for so long?"  
>"Feilong." Takaba almost whimpered the name as his mind became flooded without everything that had last happened when he was in the presence of the other.<br>"Ah so you didn't totally forget about me it would seem." Feilong's smirk widened as he took a step closer to the boy, who didn't like this action.

Asami was quite bored as he sat at the table sipping the wine that had been placed in front of him as he watched Kirishima's every action like a hawk, for he had to do so in order to notice that the other was acting nervous and fidgety, trying to keep it from appearing as though he really was continually looking at the clock behind their table as though he was waiting for someone or something to happen that was obviously not on time.  
>This wasn't the only nervous action that the other was doing, he also kept adjusting himself ever so slightly in his seat, shifting slightly to the left and then back to the right and occasionally taking a soft sip of his wine or unfolding and then refolding the napkin in front of him. The only reason why Asami was able to pick on any of this nervous habits was due to the fact the two of them had been together long enough for Asami to notice even the slightest change in emotions.<br>"Mind telling what has gotten you so nervous and why it is I'm sitting here without any food in front of me?" Kirishima snapped to attention when Asami asked this question, more then likely getting ready to give an explanation that was neither the truth nor a lie. "You better tell me what's really going on right here and now if you don't want me walking out of this place without you." Asami told the other, his tone letting the guard now he was quite serious.  
>"Takaba-san." Kirishima replied, still seeming to want to be rather tight lipped about the whole matter.<br>"What about 'Takaba-san'?" Asami questioned, not liking the strange look that was in Kirishima's eyes a he once again looked at the clock while adjusting the glasses on his face.  
>"He was supposed to be coming here to meet us, but it's already been more then half an hour since I talked with him." The guard replied, glancing over at Asami not certain what emotions he was going to be seen on the other's face.<br>"So in other words you're saying that you're worried that since he hasn't come yet that something might've happened and you only bother telling me this now?" Asami questioned, as he got ready to stand up from the table.  
>"I was indeed mildly worried that something was up, however I didn't want to alarm you right away incase my worries were for naught." Asami just shook his head when Kirishima said this, for the both of them knew that when the guard worried about something in such a manner there was indeed reason to worry.<br>"Since it's obvious that he isn't going to be coming here or so it seems, perhaps it would be a good idea for you to give him a call?" Asami suggested as he pulled out another cigarette and lit.  
>"I can do so." Kirishima replied as he got ready to pull his cell phone from his pocket, however just as he got ready to open it up it started ringing. Kirishima was going to get ready to answer it, but Asami took the phone and answered it before he had a chance to do anything.<br>"Hello?" Asami questioned, using his typical like business tone for he had a feeling that the person he was going to be talking to wasn't going to be Takaba.  
>"What the hell did you do to our friend?" Asami immediately recognized the voice on the other end of the phone to belong to Takato, Takaba's over protective friend.<br>"I have done nothing to him, we haven't been in contact since I left him there." Asami replied.  
>"Then why the hell is he acting so freaked out?" Takato questioned not even trying to hide the anger in his voice though it seemed he was directing at the wrong person.<br>"Freaked out, what do you mean by that?"  
>"Like hell I'd tell you anything that's going on." Takato replied, Asami got ready to say something else, but before he had a chance to do so Takato hung up on him.<br>Kirishima already guessed what his boss's next plan of action was going to be however he waited for the other to tell him what to do before he moved.  
>"Ready the limousine, it seems something happened thus it's time for me to pay a visit to see what's going on." Kirishima gave an affirmative answer and wasted no time in doing what Asami ordered him to while the other took the time to pay for the dining bill. Asami just hoped that whatever it was that had happened to boy wasn't anything too serious.<p> 


End file.
